Fallen Morning Star
by CammyHelena
Summary: AU: Lucy has ancestors of the celestial kind. She must find a way to unseal the magic that had been taken from her ancestors in order to defend her country from the RayFayians, a country who feels magic is evil and shouldn't be used by anyone. Along the way she makes friends with a group of nomads who befriend her.
1. Chapter 1: Humble Beginnings

I looked out the window, watching the grass dance to the wind. The fields and trees were green and luscious. I could see deer and other wild beasts wondering through the woods. And here I was, sitting in a small room being told the history of my country.

Don't mistake my inattentiveness for disinterest. I am quite interested in the history and lore of my country. However, the subject that are being covered today is one I've already researched for a few months. Magic.

In my country, magic is still a new concept. Although it is used for powering lights, kitchens, vehicles, and such things, humans using it for weapons and power is a rare practice. The only people who know how to use it properly are the nomads. However, they are travelers from different lands and thus gained knowledge from these foreign places.

It wasn't until recently that they have been allowed to wander into my country, Fiore. It was illegal for them to enter due to the fact that magic users were considered evil. After making trade with the other countries to the North and West (where magic is prevalent) that myth was dropped. Although many civilians still see magic users and evil beings.

With the arrival of magical nomads, children started to develop magical powers. Some considered it a curse (at least the lower classes) and thus left their children on their doorstep for the nomads to take them. It was a cruel practice but the children would have been shunned if they stayed. Those children born in the higher classes often were sent to a private school, one where they could learn to control it. However, the magic taught here were no more than parlor tricks and fortune telling. Anything more than that was punished.

Magic was more of a game to the nobles while it was seen as the devils work to the lower classes. This creates a tension in Fiore. Where the lower classes are scared of nobles for fear their devils magic will kill them while the nobles feel all powerful when all they can really do is make a rabbit disappear.

"Ms. Heartfilia, please stand up" my attention was brought back to the board. I stood up as asked and waited. My hands were held to the side and palms on my thighs. The teacher did not look towards the students, he just held his pen on the board waiting for me to answer.

"Please tell me the names of all the magic using countries," the teacher asked. I nodded.

"The Northern country, most known for their furs and wild beasts, is Silvercoast. The country to the West, known for their Iron and mountains, is Ironpost. Finally the country to the South, known for their large variety of magic users, is Fairriver. Fairriver is also the largest country and has the most variety of geographical features. Thus making it a great trading partner." I answered. The teacher wrote my answers on the board and a small map of where they were in relation to Fiore.

"That is correct Ms. Heartfilia. Now can someone tell me why magic was banned for so long in Fiore?" the teacher asked. I rose my hand to answer.

"Yes Ms. Heartfilia," the teacher said.

"The reason why magic was banned until twenty-five years ago was for the trade agreement with Rayfay, the country over the ocean to the East of Fiore. They banned magic as well as Fiore, however, because of the war between Fiore and Rayfay, we lifted the banned so that Fairriver could assist us. Thus leading to our victory." I said. The teacher nodded with his fact still towards the board.

"That is correct again Ms. Heartfilia. You may sit down." He said.

I sat down and opened my notebook. Where I had more in-depth notes on the war between Rayfay and Fiore, more commonly known as the Eastern war, which lasted for 5 years. There were at least 3,000 dead from Fiore and 12,000 dead from Rayfay. The death toll was even for the first 3 ½ years until the agreement with Fairriver, then we were able to kill many more Rayfayians. Thus resulting in the Peace Treaty of the East (PTE). The agreement with Fairriver was that they would help us in any war as long as we conducted trade with their country. It was too good to pass up, especially since our country had many people who were interested in the resources of Fairriver. After the war, both economies grew. It was profitable for both countries and thus Ironpost and Silvercoast wanted to conduct trade with Fiore as well.

It was still unclear in what started the war. Some say that it was a Fiorian who slaughtered a Rayfayian trading post with magic. Thus making the Rayfayians think we lied to them about banning magic. The Rayfayians felt that magic was the devils work as well. They felt it had no place in their land and thus killed anyone who possessed it. It never got that bad here in Fiore, the child would simply be sent to Fairriver or another country. It was common for magical tests to be conducted every few years. However, since it isn't banned anymore, magic users and been breeding more magic users.

My mother was from Fairriver and my father was born in Fiore, they met during the war and got married soon after. My mother agreed to live in Fiore since the banned was lifted and started a family here. I was born soon after. I was about 8 when my mother died. Ever since then I've been sent from one magic school to another. Hoping that I could learn the same spells my mother had, celestial magic. No such luck though. It seems that the only spells the schools will teach me is how to summon a dog spirit (which I named Plue).

As great as Plue is, he's nowhere close to the spirits my mother used to summon. I sometimes practice summoning her old spirits but I could only summon them for a short time before feeling exhausted. I had 4 of the 12 golden keys, which were the hardest keys to get, thanks to my mother. It's just upsetting that I can't really use them.

* * *

After class I walked down to the lunch room to relax. I said hi to a few of my acquaintances. I didn't chat with them since most of them were a bit weary of me. It seems that my mother had a reputation back in her home country. She was known for her ability to summon two spirits at once, and still fight with them. It required a large amount of energy just to summon one spirit let allow two, then to fight with them. That's a hard rep to live up to.

I didn't have many friends since I never stayed very long. My father's main goal in having me go to all these schools was to find a husband worthy of the Heartfilia fortune. My father wanted me to be with a magic user from this country. Hoping that it would be a bit of a compromise. I would still be with a magic user like me but they wouldn't be very strong. This would let us gain status but not have us be the freaks of the noble world. I don't care really if I marry or not. I just wish that my husband will let me be.

"Hey Lucy," one of my classmates yells (I think her name was Eve). "I heard you're having a ball tomorrow to pick your future husband, are you excited?" she asked. Her eyes were big and wide. It was like she was trying to live through me. If I remember correctly, her family had already picked a husband for her the minute she was born. So she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Even though I'm told I have to choice by tomorrow, I still have somewhat of a choice in the matter, although limited.

"Yeah, sure" I said halfheartedly. This didn't faze her. She was still on cloud nine. It didn't really matter much to me. If it made her happy to imagine herself in my shoes, then let her be happy.

We both got our food and sat down at a small table. Some of her friends sat down with us, unmoved by my appearance in their group.

"You're so lucky. Can you imagine it, you'll be walking in, in your best dress," I let her continue on with her story. It seemed interesting and plus I really had nothing else to do.

"Then all the most handsome men will flock to you, but you'll smile and nodded until, he arrives, the man of your dreams," she continued. Her story did seem interesting. I've read my fair share of romance novels and often imagine being in one. But there were always more pressing matters at hand.

"He wouldn't be in the crowd surrounding you, no. He would be by the window looking out. Up at the stars, you'll be fascinated by the man and walk up to him. You won't know why but he just seems so perfect to you, and you haven't even seen his face." Her hands were on her cheeks. I could see the stars in her eyes.

"You say 'Hello' but he doesn't respond. You'll be a bit frustrated but you try again, refusing to leave until you get an answer. 'Hello' you'll say with a hint of frustration. He turns his head to you, you blush with embarrassment because you know that he knows you were angry at him. He smirks at you and turns his head back to the window, then…" she stopped as I turned her around to face me.

"Look, Eve was it? I know that it sounds exciting but I doubt that it will turn out that way."

"Well, you'll never know until tomorrow will you." She said. Her cheeks were puffed up. Angry that I cut her off. I rolled my eyes and continued to eat my food. She continued the story with her friends.

* * *

After school I ran to the river. There was a large tree by the bridge that I always sat under. This was where I worked on my research on the war and countries involved. I also would buy a newspaper and read on the uprisings in Ironpost. It seems the mixing of different magic cultures can lead to conflicts. This isn't a surprise really but will greatly affect the price of iron in the next few months. After the trade agreements with Ironpost, Silvercoast, Fiore, and Fairriver, a Grand Council was created to lead all four countries, at least for trade and magic purposes. They will probably be the ones to respond to the uprisings. Their army is composed of soldiers from all four countries and thus have ties to the whole continent.

"I wonder what they will do," I said out loud. I look up through the tree. A small breeze made me shiver. I was just wearing a skirt and a polo, the usual school uniform for Spring. I closed my eyes to enjoy the warmth of the sun. It was quiet except for the water and the wind. I hate to admit it but I fell asleep just like that.

When I opened my eyes there were another set looking at me. They were dark and large. Both of us were still. I wasn't sure what was going on. So I did the only thing I could think of. I slapped him.

"What the hell was that for?" he responded as he rubbed the bright pink mark on his face.

"For being a creep," I said. Really I had no reason to slap him. But I wasn't going to let him just stare at me.

"I didn't even do anything to you," He said.

"Well, you shouldn't just stare at people, it's rude," I said.

"Well, you've cured me of that," He said. With the distance between us I was able to gather more details about his appearance. His hair was almost as pink as the mark on his face. He was wearing a black vest with a loose white shirt underneath. He had a white scarf wrapped around his neck and white puffy pants.

"Clearly you aren't from around here, are you lost?" I asked. He looked at me for a second then stood up.

"No, I was on my way to my camp when I saw you sleeping here. I know they say that this area is pretty safe but I still wouldn't want to sleep in the open. There could be beast and stuff you know?" he said with his arms crossed. I stood up and fixed my skirt.

"Well thank you for your concern. I didn't mean to fall asleep, it was just really peaceful out here." I paused and smiled at the man. "By the way, you said you were on your way to your camp, are you by chance part of a nomad clan?" I asked. He smiled and nodded.

"Yeah we are doing a job for a noble around here, they're name is Heartfilia I think." He said. I was about to speak when a blue cat came flying out of nowhere and plopped on his head.

"Found you Natsu," the cat said. I was in shock. There was a talking cat. _Is this a celestial spirit?_ I thought. Apparently, Natsu saw my reaction.

"You look like you've never seen a flying cat before," he chuckled. I didn't respond. I was just really confused. So I grabbed him and stretched his cheeks.

"What are you?" he flew away and hid behind Natsu.

"Who's the mean lady?" the cat asked. Natsu moved his hands behind his head and shrugged.

"I don't know, I just met her." He said.

"Oh, forgive my rudeness," I bowed. "My name is Lucy, Lucy Heartfilia, and it is a pleasure to meet you Natsu and…" I waited for a response.

"Happy, his name is Happy and I'm Natsu Dragneel," Natsu said. He pulled out his hand.

"It's nice to meet you Natsu Dragneel and Happy," I shook Natsu's hand and smiled. Natsu had a big grin on his face.

"So are you the client?" He asked. I nodded my head no.

"Well, my father is probably the ones that hired you but it's for my ball so kind of." I said. Before Natsu could respond Happy gave him a light shove.

"Natsu we have to get back, Gramps is going to get mad if we don't practice for the ball," Happy said, still hiding behind Natsu.

"Alright, well it was nice to meet you Luigi, see you tomorrow." He said before running off.

"IT'S LUCY" I yelled. Was it too much for a nomad to remember his client's name.


	2. Chapter 2: The Grand Ball

**Author's Note:** Hi, sorry for the weird summery. I'm not very good at those. I hope you enjoy the story.

**Claimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail nor it's characters.

* * *

I walked home. Meeting the strange man was interesting to say the least. I just can't get over how carefree he was. As if, nothing was wrong. As far as I know, everything was wrong. All the uprisings in Ironpost, the silence of Rayfay in the last four years, Fairriver's increase in weapons, and now Fiore is starting to have their own uprisings to the West. I'm surprised that nomads are able to travel so freely at the moment. The Grand Council must be running around like chickens with all the chaos happening.

"Andy, could you get me some more books on magic?" I asked one of my servants as I entered the house.

"Of course Miss," she bowed and ran off.

"I'll be in the parlor," I yelled. I assumed she heard me and walked towards the parlor. The furnishings would make a guest think they were in the king's house. We were only nobles but we lived like kings. My father made many friends during the war. He was very well known for his barging skills. He could sell fire to a dragon.

The room had some book shelves that held more common novels and non-fiction books. Some were signed by the authors while others were just rare. I've read most of them. Some were about faraway lands while others were about trade and business. A fireplace kept the room warm. A couch faced the fireplace with a coffee table between. My father's chair was on the left of the fireplace. My mother's was on the right. A book still left on the corner of the chair. None of the servants felt it was appropriate to move it. It was still open to the page she left it on before she left us. I couldn't read the title since it was in another language.

I sat down at my desk to start writing a short story. Just one where there was a hero who saved the princess. A common tale but I added some twists to it. One of my maids played some music on the radio. After I wrote the story, I put it in a file cabinet.

"Here are the books you requested miss," Andy said. She placed the books to my left.

"Thank you, could you change the radio to the news please?" I asked. She nodded and did so. She stood in the corner of the room waiting for further orders

The books didn't give too much detail on how to increase magical power. Other than experience. As much as I wanted to go and adventure through the world, my father would never allow it. Our relationship has always been rocky. I used to run away when I was younger but it would only cause problems for my maids and servants. That's when my father started to send me to private schools. It wasn't until recently that I was sent to one closer to home. Since then the relationship has been a bit better but never quite perfect.

"Miss, would you like some tea?" Andy asked. I smiled.

"Yes, of course," I responded. She bowed and left the room. I got up and walked over to the globe in the center of the room, on top of the table.

So many places I could see and go. My mother's marks of where she went were still on the globe. She would always place a dot on towns she's visited while she was away for business trips and research. She was always away but when she came home, she made me feel so happy.

"Here is your tea miss," Andy wheeled in a cart with tea and cake. I gave her a soft smile.

"Thank you Andy, you may go now, I'll be alright," I said. She bowed and exited the room to finish her chores. I sat on the couch, with my feet next to me, drinking my tea.

"I see you're comfortable," a man's voice spoke to me. I looked over towards the doorway. It was my father.

"Yes I am," I responded. He walked over towards his chair. He stared over towards my mother's book.

"Can you believe it's been 9 years?" he said.

"It's still strange," he continued. "I feel like she left yesterday for her trip back home." He said. I looked down at my tea.

"I know she would have wanted you to be happy, that's why I wanted you to choose your husband rather than arranging one for you." He said,

"I know father, I just didn't think it would happen so soon after we talked." I said. "After all it was only a couple months ago I was able to stay in the same room as you," I said. He placed his chin on the top of his hands. His elbows were on his knees and he stared at the orientate rug on the ground.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you before, I know you were lonely and I didn't help," he said. I looked at him. We were broken people. We both lost someone we cared about and adored. I'm glad I recognized this now.

"By the way I ran into one of the entertainers this afternoon," I said. He looked up at me with a little confusion at first and then remembered.

"Oh yes, the wizards I hired from Fairriver,"He said. "What do you think?"

"He was quite interesting to say the least. He had pink hair and a flying cat," I said. My father laughed a bit. I smiled.

"A flying cat huh? It sounds like the ball will be quite interesting to say the least." He said.

"I'm sure it will be father," I replied as I sipped the rest of my tea.

Well if you'll excuse me, I do believe dinner will be served soon, so I should change out of my school clothes," I said. He nodded and sat back into his chair.

"Yes of course," he said. I left the room but not before I heard him say.

"She looks just like you Layla," I smiled and ran off to my room.

I entered my room and found a box sitting on my bed. I walked over to open it when Andy walked in.

"Your father bought a new dress for the ball tomorrow. It was custom made with your new measurments Miss," She said.

"Thank you Andy," I responded as I opened the box. It was a large ballroom dress. Tight corset on top. The stomacher was dark pink while the rest of the bodice was a pale pink. It had an off-shoulder neckline with a white lace trim on the neckline and the sleeves. The skirt had a pale pink over coat with white tulle underneath. Under the white tulle was a dark pink tulle that reached the ground. The over skirt had embellishment along the trim. There were cloth flowers in the corners of the over skirt.

"It's gorgeous Andy," I said. She smiled.

"I'm glad," she said, "I helped the seamstress with some of the sewing. Only a little though, you know how particular Madam Bell is with her dresses," She walked over to me and started to comb through my hair.

"Now what would be the perfect hair for the perfect dress?" she said. I love this part of being a noble. The girly chatter, the dresses, and the hair. But I also love the writing and the access to all the books.

"Whatever you think is best Andy," I said. I sat down at my vanity so I was at the right height for her to braid my hair. She sang some nursery songs as she combed through my hair. I felt so relaxed and got lost in thought.

I would give anything to go out and explore but I would miss all my friends here at my house. That's why, I must pick a husband tomorrow. If he is a magic user I'm sure he'll understand my need for books and research. Maybe he'll even let me do some field research, like my mother. It's a dream right now but I'm sure I'll venture out and find out what my mother was doing before she died.

"By the way Lucy," Andy said. "What's your type anyway?" I thought about what she said.

_What's my type?_ Suddenly an image of the man from earlier, Natsu, appeared. I immediately blushed and hid my face.

"Is something wrong miss?" Andy asked. I shook my head.

"No it's fine," I said. After she messed around with my hair with a few different styles, she finally decided with a half-up look. _I wonder what he'll be doing at the party,_ I thought. He looked rather fit and had a flying cat. Maybe he'll do some acrobatics.

"All done miss," Andy said. I looked at the small braids on the side of my hair that draped into a high pony tail, with half of my hair out of it flowing down my back.

"Tomorrow I'll make sure your hair is wavy," Andy said. "For now I'll just braid it in a Dutch braid to help the process," she finished.

"Alright but let me bathe first before you do," I said. She nodded and ran to my dresser, picking out my night wardrobe. I walked towards my bathroom and start the water. This will be my last night as a daughter of Heartfilia, and tomorrow I shall choose a new life as a wife.

* * *

**THIRD PERSON POV**

In the gardens of the Heartfilia courtyard, a group of wizards practice their skills in front of their client.

"As you can tell," said the short, old, man. "All the performers are the finest in all of Fiore and Fairriver," the man finished. Jude Heartfilia nodded in agreement.

"They seem perfect for my daughter's ball," Jude Heartfilia said.

"Hey Gramps!" a pink haired wizard yelled.

"Natsu, don't you see I'm busy?" the old man said. Jude looked up and smiled towards the wizard.

"I was wondering about the girl, she seemed to have some magic, is she a wizard?" the wizard asked.

"Natsu, that is none of your business," the man called Gramps replied. Natsu shrugged and placed his hands behind his head.

"You must be the man with the flying cat," Jude said. Natsu looked at the client in confusion and then nodded.

"One of them yeah," Natsu said.

"My daughter told me that she ran into you on her way home. She was quite intrigued by your cat," Jude said. Natsu smiled.

"Yeah Happy is one of a kind," Natsu said. "There might be other flying cats but they got nothing on Happy," Natsu only smiled brighter.

"I see, Makarov I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you. You will be compensated of course," Jude said. Makarov looked up at the man.

"I would like it if you and your clan could also serve as security for the ball," Jude said. "I'll already have some of my guards but knowing the state that the world is in and the killings of old soldiers, I fear for my daughter's safety," he finished. Makarov nodded and thought to himself.

"I understand your worry," Makarov said. "I'll make sure that some of my men are aware of the situation and they will keep an eye on you and your daughter." As Makarov finished his promise, Jude smiles and nodes at both wizards. Natsu smiled back.

"Thank you, both of you," Jude said. Jude then left towards the house. Natsu waited till he was out of earshot.

"Hey gramps, why are we preforming for this guy? Usually we just do hunting missions and stuff," Natsu asked.

"There has been some disturbing news recently," Makarov said. "There have been some rebel groups attacking old soldiers during the war. Jude Heartfilia was one of the heroes during the war, as well as his late wife Layla. That being said, it is a possiblility that the rebel group will attack both Jude and Lucy at the ball." Natsu's fist lit in flame.

"Well I'll be ready for them gramps, no one messes with a client of Fairy Tail," Natsu said punching his fist into his other hand.

"Be calm boy, it's only a hunch. I pray that it is only that." Makarov said. "Now go work on your routine. We have to make everyone believe that we are performers," he finished. Natsu grunted but did as the old man said.

* * *

**LUCY POV**

Breathe in, breathe out, I tell myself. The servants stood at the doors, and waited for my signal to open them. My dress was heavy and beautiful. My hair was gorgeous and perfect. The music played and I could hear the laughter on the other side. I knew that once these doors open, I would be flooded with men asking to dance, my favorite things, and hobbies.

All of them wishing for my hand.

"My lady, if you don't appear soon, the guest will grow restless," Andy said. She fixed the back of the dress. "I know you're nervous but it's time to go,"

"Alright," I took a deep breath and stood up straight. "Open the doors," I said. The servants nodded and grabbed the handles.

It was bright and I could hear the music change. Horns blasted, signaling my arrival. My father spared no expense. The glass dome over the ballroom allowed even the stars to view my arrival in this moment of time. I saw all the men look straight at me from all corners of the room. Even some of the hired wizards pause their acts to watch me enter. Not for my beauty of course, but because no one would watch them.

"I am proud to introduce, my only daughter, Lucy Heartfilia," my father said over speaker. "Let the ball continue," as the performers continued their acts, a few men walked up to me and asked me to dance. I bowed and accepted some of them. Although after talking to them, it dulled my interest in ever finding a husband.

"I see, so how is the merchant trade in Ironpost?" I asked one of my suitors.

"Dull, the people of the land are ignorant and rude. They would rather fight each other than actually talk money." the man said as he sipped from his glass.

"I see" I said, as the conversation was clearly going nowhere, "How is the country's landscape?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation alive.

"Rugged," he said. "I wouldn't travel there for vacation that's for sure. But it's rich in resources. The magic there is mostly used for mining purposes but has the greatest blacksmiths in the whole world." He finished. I nodded and sipped my own drink.

"How about the riots and such?" I asked. He was hesitant, understandably. This was a topic that was discussed in studies not ballrooms.

"A nuisance that's for sure," he said. "But nothing the Grand Council can't deal with," he answered. I smiled and nodded. I wasn't sure what else to talk about. I could ask his magical powers. Or I could ask what his hobbies were. There isn't a book called _Ten Questions to Ask Your Future Husband_ or at least not that I have read.

I then felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I turned to find the same pink-haired man from a yesterday.

"Hey Lucy," Natsu said. He looked at me with a smile on his face. "Aren't you going to watch my show?" he asked.

"Oh are you preforming next?" I asked. He nodded. "Sure, would you like to join me?" I asked the man/suitor.

"No thank you, I'm still skeptical about this whole magic business." He said. Clearly he was not in my top five. I was better off anyway.

I walked over to the center of the room where the wizards were preforming. There was a woman who was moving the water from the small water fountains in the room into floating streams over the audience's heads. Her hair was a deep blue and curled at the ends, only the ends. Natsu nodded at her and she bowed. The water flowed back into the fountains and ran normally.

"And now for our Fire Dragon Slayer, Natsu Dragneel!" The woman shouted his name. The audience clapped. I stood near my father, who was sitting down in a chair on a platform.

Natsu quickly ran to the center of the circle and started to preform fire magic. He lit his whole body on fire. The flying cat from before, Happy I believe, flew out with a torch. He dropped it in Natsu's hands as the fire around him died out. Natsu shoved the whole lit end of the torch in his mouth, then blew out a large lick of flames. It almost reached the top of the dome. Everyone clapped. Happy flew around him.  
"Nice going coal for brains," said a man with only pants on.

"What you want Ice Princess?" Natsu replied. The shirtless man, (why was he shirtless?) placed his hands together. _This can't be good_.

"Ice Make: hammer" he said and an ice hammer appeared over Natsu's head. The shirtless man smirked and the hammer dropped. Natsu, annoyed, melted the hammer. I was shocked. So was most of the crowd.

"YOU WANNA GO!" Natsu yelled. I sighed at their little fight. _Do all wizards act this way?_

"BRING IT," and the two began to fight. Being that not one of the other wizards stopped the two, I assumed that it was part of the performance. A magic duel was intriguing and more interesting than asking twenty guys about their trade experiences.

"Who are you rooting for Lucy?" my father asked. I was taken aback by the question.

"I guess Natsu, the one with pink hair, he's the only one I know after all," I said. My father smiled. After a little while it was obvious that both Natsu and the shirtless man were tired, but still angry with each other. A good portion of the floor was covered in ice or ashes. I could see the tears in the servant's faces in the amount of time it would take to clean up. My father had a smile on his face but I knew he was a bit frustrated.

A woman with red hair walked into the center of the circle. Both men coward in fear.

"Do you enjoy making us look like fools?" she said to both men.

"N-No mam" they said in unison. The aura around the woman was dark and the audience backed away. The red haired woman walked up to my father and me.

"I apologies for their rudeness," she said.

"No need," my father said. She bowed and then turned around.

"I would like to take the stage now," she said, looking at both men. They rushed off into the crowd. The woman walked back into the center. A strange light engulf her and her clothes vanished. It was too blinding to see anything. When the light dimmed she was in a set of armor. Red and yellow, with her hair in pintails.

"Behold; Flame Empress Armor," she said. She flew up into the air with her dark wings. She carried a large red sword. The audience ate it up and cheered her on. _She's so cool!_

She performed a number of transformations, then bowed before the next performer took the stage. I clapped and then took my leave. It was about time for me to finish my search. After all, I only had around 3 hours to find the next heir to the Heartfilia line. So far I have a large lists of No's and a couple maybes. I talked to a few more guys but they always had the same level of interest in me. None.

"I'll never find a husband at this rate," I said. "My self-esteem is really taking a hit," I sighed. Why can't he just appear and tell me I'm beautiful and how he wants to run away together.

I walked over to the edge of the ballroom, towards the large windows. I could see the fireworks a few yards away. There was a festival going on in town. My father sponsored it in order to keep the locals happy and distracted from my ball. It looked more fun than my party did.

"Those fireworks are really colorful!" a high-pitched voice said. I turned and saw that it was the flying cat. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah they are," I said. He flew closer to me and landed on a small table by my side. I could feel his eyes stare at me. I glanced over.

"What are you staring at?" I asked.

"Nothing," He said. I puffed my cheeks but looked back out the window. I could see the reflection of all the guests at the party. None of them seemed to mind that I wasn't joining in. They all seemed to be amused by our entertainment.

"Hey, Happy was it?" I asked. "Why aren't you preforming?" he smiled at my question.

"Because I only preform with Natsu, and master said that we weren't allowed to fly tonight." He answered.

"But the red haired woman was flying," I said. He looked up with his hand under his chin.

"That's true but Erza was worried that Natsu and Grey were going to destroy everything. Master almost fainted from all the mess," Happy explained. "But that's Natsu and Grey for ya," he said. I giggled at Happy's enthusiasm.

"You must love your clan very much," I said.

"Yeah, Fairy Tail is the best group there is!" He said. He then started to float around me. "Nothing can stop us, and no place is too far away for us to go. That's what it's like for us in Fairy Tail," he said. I must admit, I felt a bit of jealousy.

"That sounds like a lot of fun," I said quietly. He stopped flying around me and floated on one side. "My life is full of standing." I said. I looked out towards the fireworks. Each one blasting in different colors.

"Nothing but waiting for people to come home, waiting for the school bell to ring, waiting for the sun to set, and waiting for it to rise. That is what it means to be a Heartfilia," I said.

"Well, stop standing and start moving," a voice from behind me. I focused my eyes on the reflection in the mirror. It was the fire wizard Natsu.

"W-What?" I said as he took my hand. He pulled me towards the courtyard doors. The doors Fairy Tail has been using in between acts. It wasn't as guarded and it seemed none of the nomads minded one bit. Natsu started running and I was getting dragged along, screaming. The next I know it, we're out in the middle of the garden.

"What are you doing?" I asked. "I can't be missing from my own party," I said. He let go of my hand and faced me with a stupid grin on his face.

"Well it didn't look like anyone mind that we were taking you, besides it was boring in there," he said.

"This isn't just any ball," I said. I crossed my arms. "I am the heir to the Heartfilia family and it is my duty to choose a husband that will lead my family to success for the next generation. Usually I would have been given a husband by my parents but my father let me choose." I continued even though it was obvious that Natsu wasn't paying any attention.

"I have to do this for my family," I said. My eyes were aimed at the ground.

"Why?" He asked. "Why do you have to marry some guy now?" I looked at him in shock.

"Because that's my duty as the only daughter," I answered.

"Well that's a stupid reason," He said. I was dumbfounded. Clearly this man has no idea what it is like to be a noble. How can he? He was probably raised by these nomads. I wasn't familiar with their courting rituals but I knew arrange marriages were an option for some. Clans become stronger if couples are formed.

"This happens all around the world, wizard," I said. "It keeps alliances strong and families large." He just looked at Happy (who followed Natsu) and shrugged.

"Whatever you say," he said. "But you looked like you weren't enjoying your party too much," I grunted and started walking back. He followed me.

"You don't have to follow me you know, I know my way around this place," I said.

"Well we don't," Happy said. I sighed.

_These idiots_, I thought. To drag a client out of their house and then get lost in the process was so unprofessional on their part.

"Fine, follow me then," I said.

"We were going to anyway." Natsu said. I grunted and continued walking.

It was silent between us. It was awkward. I wanted to break the silence but I didn't know what to ask. I guess the general questions would work.

"So, Natsu was it? What magic do you possess?" I asked.

"Dragon Slayer magic," he answered. I stopped and turned towards him.

"I've never heard of such a thing," I said. "Is it a lost magic?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Don't know Igneel taught it to me." He said.

"It's really cool! It allows Natsu to eat fire and breathe fire," Happy said as he plopped on top of Natsu's head.

"Who is Igneel?" I asked.

"My dad, he's a dragon," Natsu said. I paused for a moment before leaning my head on a tree.

_Great now I'm being followed by crazy people_, I thought. _Dragons aren't real_.

"Natsu I think this girl is weird," Happy said. I grunted.

"I can hear you," I said. Both of them seem to have ignored me.

"I agree," Natsu replied to Happy. I walked off. They noticed and moved to keep up with me. I would have ran but my dress was too heavy.

_Damn it_, I thought. _If only I could leave them behind. _They were getting annoying.

"What magic do you use?" Natsu asked. I stopped again. Natsu bumped into me.

"How do you know?" I asked. He looked at me with confusion.

"I can sense it on you, can't you sense my magic power?" He asked. I shook my head no.

"I only know simple tricks, I can't actually preform spells," I answered. "But I specialize in celestial magic," I said.

"What's that?" Happy asked.

"I make a contract with a celestial spirit and when I ask, they come and help me," I said. "It's like having friends pop out of nowhere and help you out when you need it most. But I'm only able to summon spirits for a short amount of time. I've never been trained so I have to practice privately." I explained. I didn't bring my keys with me, I always kept them in a safe box. One only I could open.

"I see, that's why I couldn't recognize it. It's a magic I've never sensed before." Natsu said. I then recalled the first time we met.

"Is that why you were staring at me yesterday?" I asked.

"Yeah, I was trying to make sense of your aura but I couldn't figure it out. Next thing I knew you slapped me," He said.

"Well, it serves you right, it's rude to stare at a woman like that," I said. He huffed and then walked ahead of me.

"Whatever," he said. I was about to follow him but he paused.

"Natsu what's…" I said but he raised his arm parallel to the ground.

"Shh." He said. Even Happy looked nervous. I moved closer to him for safety. I couldn't see any guards or servants. We were pretty close to the house but I couldn't hear anything.

Wait, what happened to the music?

"Happy take Lucy away from here," Natsu said. I tried to argue but the cat grabbed the back of my dress and lifted both of us into the air.

"Aye sir!" was all he said.

* * *

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading my story! Hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave a comment or critiques.


	3. Chapter 3: Blue Skies

"AAAAHHHH," I yelled. "DAMN CAT LET ME GO!" I wanted him to do as I said, but at the same time I didn't want him to. We were quite a ways up. I could see my whole house as well as some of the commotion. There were men in dark suits running into the house. I could hear some faint screaming as well.

.

It was an attack.

.

"Happy you have to let me go," I said. I squirmed but a huge blast went off. I could see the shockwave move the trees. Happy's hands, I mean paws, were trembling.

"No, Natsu said I have to get you away from here," he said. I shook myself to loosen the grip. He had a good hold on me. I knew I was loosening it but he had is claws in the fabric.

"DAMN, YOU, CAT," I yelled. Suddenly I didn't feel his han…I mean paws on me. But that also meant I was falling, and falling fast. I screamed until I hit a tree, softening my fall but also caused a few bruises and scrapes. I probably broke a few ribs as well. It wasn't pretty. My dress was all torn up. It appeared that my dress didn't have enough strength to hold all my weight.

I had to hurry before Happy could find me. I ripped off the tulle so it would be easier to run, as well as tossing my shoes. Now, the skirt only covered everything from my mid-thigh up. I ran towards the house. There was so much chaos and fire. There were servants and guest running everywhere. They didn't even notice me as I ran towards the house. There was some parts on fire (mostly the front) but the other half was in pieces. It was nothing but stones and broken fixtures.

"Dad! Dad!" I yelled. I couldn't find him. He was most likely in the ballroom still. "Andy! Andy!" I yelled both their names but I didn't get an answer. I ran in further. That was when I tripped.

"Owww," I said as I rubbed my head. I looked towards my feet to see what I tripped over.

.

.

It was a body.

.

.

I screamed. I covered my mouth with my hand, keeping me from gagging. I couldn't recognize the face.

They were dead. There wasn't a question in my mind.

_What happened_? I thought. _Who did this? _I crawled away from the body. I wasn't sure how to process all of this. I was in shock.

"Daddy," I cried to myself. "Dad please be ok," I felt blood running down my face_. I must have hit a rock when I tripped_. I looked up and around. There were more dead bodies and the smell was disgusting.

"I have to find him," I told myself. "I can't lose him," My mind raced with doubt and fear. Things I didn't need right now. I couldn't help but throw up.

_Get it together Lucy_. _I just need to calm down_. I whipped off the last bit of barf off my face. _I have to keep going_, I thought to myself, _I have to_.

As I crawled through the ruble I tried to find any landmarks that would key me to where I was. It wasn't till I saw my mother's chair that I figured where I was.

"No, it's all wrong" I said. "The fireplace isn't here, the blast must have moved everything." The chair was on its side. The books were ruined. All my work was scorched. My mother's book with her page was surrounded by flames. I just watched as the flames danced around it, tearing up the last bits of proof of my mother's existence in this house. That was when I remembered my keys.

"Shit, if I can't figure out where I am how the hell am I going to find my room." I said. I looked at the surroundings. I spent a lot of my time looking out windows, I could just use what I remembered as a reference point.

After finding the right angles of the horizon and mountain tops in the distance, I was able to figure out where my room would be. Luckily my safe box was still there and uncharred. I couldn't the same thing about the rest of my room. My bed was in shambles, my walls were on the ground and what was left of my ceiling was in the tree line.

"Open," I hovered my hand over the inscription on the safe box. The magic seal broke and I was able to open it. Along with my keys were photos of my family, my journal, and a few research notes from my mother.

I grabbed all of them as well as a bag that seemed to have survived the blast. I couldn't find any change of clothes. _I don't have time to change_. _I need to find my father_. I worked my way back to the hallway, or what was left of it. I walked over to the ballroom. I found the doors that only a few hours ago I was scared to walk through. I squeezed my arm as I chuckled to myself.

_Funny, I'm scared now as well_. I took a breath. It seems the explosion must have originated on the other end of the estate. The ballroom wasn't as damaged as the front of the house. Hopefully that means that my father is safe.

I pushed open the doors. I stood in shock. There was blood everywhere. They weren't burnt and I could identify all of their faces. I saw my servants and maids with their eyes open and yet no sign of life. The same shock and fear on their faces reflected my own.

"No, No, No, No," I repeated. "It can't be happening. This can't be happening," I moved forward. "This is just a nightmare, a really bad dream." I walked further in. "I'll wake up and Andy will lecture me, my father will get irritated that I slept in again. He'll say something about sleep the day away," I rambled on. I fell to my feet crying and smiling at the same time, and my eyes were to the ground. I still crawled forward.

"Right father?" I said. "Right father?" I raised my head and saw him. He was a little ways over. I crawled pathetically to him. "Father…dad?" I said as I reached out for him. "Say something, please," I got close enough to him to see the arrow in his head. His eyes and mouth were wide open.

"Dad…Daddy…DAD!" I yelled as I rushed over to his body. I held him close to me. "Please don't die, don't leave me daddy," I said.

"OVER HERE," I heard. There were people here. I didn't care.

"I'm alone again," I said through my tears. "I'm alone again," I heard footsteps and blood splashing. Whoever they were they weren't friendly.

"Found the girl," one of them said. Suddenly I was surrounded by men in suits. The same suits that I saw outside. "Any last words Heartfilia?" One of the men said. They readied their weapons. Mostly guns but some had fire balls.

I clenched to my father's body. "I don't want to die," whispered said. "I don't want to be alone but…" I paused and looked up at the stars. My tears turn into a stream down my cheeks.

.

.

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE," I yelled.

.

.

The wizards released their fireballs and the others shot their guns. I closed my eyes and waited for the impact.

.

.

But none of them hit.

.

.

I opened my eyes and saw…ice walls.

.

"Nice try, but you ain't gonna lay a finger on her," said a man's voice.

"If any of you value your lives, this would be the time to run," A woman's voice shouted.

"Because we won't go easy on you" the same man's voice said. I looked over and it was the same shirtless man who fought with Natsu. The woman next to him was the one with red hair. Both of them were badly injured. It was obvious they have been fighting the whole night.

"It's those wizards from before," one of the suits said. "I thought they were killed in the explosion!" another one of the suits said.

"You think a little bomb will kill us?" the shirtless man said. "We're Fairy Tail wizards, it will take a hell of a lot more than that to kill us!" he slammed a fist into his palm.

"ICE MAKE: LANCE," he shouted and then large icicles sprouted from his hands. All of them hit at least one suit, shoving them to the ground.

"REQUIP: BLACK WING ARMOR," the woman's clothes changed and She charged at them with her sword. She was able to dodge all of their attacks, even the bullets.

"LUCY!" it was Happy who flew straight towards me. "I'm glad you're alright," he said with a smile and a few tears. "We were looking everywhere for you. Erza and Gray were the only ones I could find, and…" he looked at my father's body. "Who is that?" he asked. I started crying again.

"It's…It's my father," I said.

"I'm sorry Lucy, but we have to go. If we stay here we will only get in the way," Happy said. He pulled at me but I shoved him away.

"NO, I WON'T LEAVE HIM," I screamed. Happy gave me a sad look.

"Lucy," he said. There was pity in his voice. It pissed me off.

"I'm staying," I said through my teeth.

"Like hell you are!" It was a voice I knew. It was Natsu. I looked up at him. "You're coming with us," he said.

"No," I shook my head. "I'm not going anywhere," I said.

"And why not," he said. I couldn't leave, I just wouldn't know what to do.

"I don't want to be alone," I whispered. "I already lost my mother, and now my father," my tears fell onto my father's face. "I'm alone, not even my servants are alive," my tears just flowed like a river. I couldn't stop it. "I don't want to be alone, but I don't want to die either," I said.

I felt hands around my face. Natsu turned my face towards his. He was so close to me. I could feel my heart race.

.

.

I could feel the warmth in his hands on my cheeks.

.

.

He was just so close to me.

.

.

Suddenly he pushed my face away as he moved his further away from me. Then he rapidly forced our foreheads together.

.

.

That's right.

This jerk head-butted me. And it hurt like hell. I grabbed my forehead and whimpered in pain. Blood was still falling out of the wound. I'm lucky he didn't knock me unconscious.

"What the hell was that," I said.

"THEN LIVE," he yelled at me. I was startled at first. I didn't break eye contact with him. His eyes were intense and saw straight through me. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I could hear the other two fighting the rest of the suits. They were yelling but I couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Live, you're still alive, keep moving," he told me. His hand reached out and closed my father's eyes and mouth. My father looked calmer. He looked peaceful.

"That's what he would have wanted," Natsu said quietly. I nodded. I stood up but my legs were weak. It wasn't till then I looked and saw that they were torn up and burnt.

"I'll carry you," Happy grabbed what was left of my dress but it ripped.

"Natsu! Get her out of here!" the woman, I'm assuming to be Erza yelled while fending off the suits.

"Looks like I'll have to carry you," Natsu said. He had me jump on his back. My legs wrapped around his waist and his hands were on my thighs. It was uncomfortable to say the least. I burrowed my face into his neck as I kept crying.

"Lets go Gray," Erza said.

"Right behind ya," Gray responded. Suddenly they were running right beside Natsu and me.

"Do you know where everyone is?" Gray asked.

"No but I can smell them," Natsu responded. "Don't worry, you're safe," Natsu reinsured me.

"I know but I can't stop crying," I said. _He's gone, he's really gone_. I turned my head to look at what used to be my house. I couldn't see any of the suits. I just saw the large fire. "Everything is gone," I said. I turned my head forward. I could only see Natsu's pink hair and trees.

"But you're alive, and that's all that matters," Natsu said.

"Yes, as long as you're alive, everything will work out," Gray said. He was smiling as he casted a large wall of ice behind us.

"And we will be right by your side," Erza said as she changed into a different suit of armor that only covered her top half with a skirt and boots.

"Aye Sir!" Happy exclaimed, flying close to us.

"You're not alone Lucy," Natsu said. "Fairy Tail will be here for you," I clenched his vest in my fist.

_I'm not alone_. I told myself as I drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

As I awoke, I heard people talking.

"Get me some more bandages," said a female voice. I opened my eyes to see where I was.

_That's right, my house exploded and my father is dead_. I remembered. Part of me didn't even want to open my eyes. But his words repeated in my head, '_You're alive, and that's all that matters_'. So I opened them all the way.

There was a girl, with dark blue hair. As well as woman with long white hair. Both were wearing dresses and had medical equipment in their hands. The looked at me and realized I was awake.

"Lucy, Lucy do you remember where you are?" the woman with white hair asked.

"My house, it burnt down," I answered. She nodded with a frown.

"Tha-that's right," she said. The girl also frowned and looked towards the ground.

"And my father is dead," I said. I turned my head and faced the ceiling. The ceiling was made of cloth, I was in a tent. There were shadows from the trees dancing on the ceiling. I was on a cot. There was a blanket on top of me.

I moved my arm to my forehead, which still ached. I was in different clothes. I was wearing a long sleeved shirt.

"Becareful, there's a large bruise on your forehead," the girl said.

"I know, Natsu head-butted me," I said as I sat up. I pulled my hand away to look at the damage. It was all bandaged up. Really, there wasn't much of my body not bandaged. I must have had more burns that I thought I did.

"He did?" the girl said in shock.

"He can be a bit rough," the woman with white hair explained. "By the way, my name is Mira, and this is Wendy," I faintly smiled at both of them.

"Nice to meet you, would you please tell me where I am?" I asked.

"Well, we are a ways from your estate, we had to move somewhere so they wouldn't find us. So we stopped near a lake," Mira explained. "Since you've been asleep for a whole day we had time to create distance between us and the intruders."

"Yeah, we should be safe for a while, we had a few of our clan members create magical barriers to protect us," Wendy said. "And I've been tending most of your wounds. You only had some minor scrapes and burns on your legs, most of the damage was the large cut on your head. But we bandaged that up for you," she smiled.

"Well thank you Wendy," I said. I swung my feet to the ground. Both of them reached for me. I pushed their hands away.

"You should really get more rest," Mira said. "You haven't eaten and you're still wounded."

"I'll be fine," I said. I moved to stand and I felt a large amount of pain. My body was shaking but I stood up. "I'm stronger than I look,"

"This is no time to be stubborn," Mira replied. I just walked towards the door. "Lucy you should really rest," I had problems with the first few steps but the pain stopped once I kept moving. It gave me enough confidence to quicken my pace.

I ran. I could hear Wendy and Mira shouting at me but I didn't care. I couldn't stop. There was just so much to process. The pain was coming back, I knew I was pushing my body but I wanted to run. Where? I didn't know. I wasn't going to run back home, there wasn't a home to go back to. I didn't want to run back to school, I didn't really like the place to begin with, why go there. No I just wanted to run.

It wasn't long before my legs gave out. I made it a good bit through the camp. I was at the edge when I fell to the ground. I was frustrated and tired. I had only just gotten up and I already felt like I wanted to go back to bed.

I turned over to look up at the sky. It was so blue, it wasn't long ago when it was black and filled with smoke. The air was fresh but I could still remember the smell of flesh and blood. I remember the fear I felt. I won't forget it. I was helpless and scared. I couldn't do anything, I was just so worthless.

My thoughts stopped when I heard people talking and walking my way. I managed to sit up to get a better look at them. It was Gray and Natsu, they seemed to be arguing over something. They were carrying some large things. My eye sight was foggy since I hadn't used them for a whole day. The only reason I recognized them was their hair and voices.

"Mine's bigger!" Natsu said. He was agitated. I was taken back but the statement. I wasn't sure what they were talking about but I was sure that I didn't want to hear it.

"Whatever, I caught more than you did. Just because you caught something bigger doesn't mean you win, the bet was on how many you can catch not…" Gray stopped. He looked straight at me and Natsu did as well. I then realized what they were talking about.

They were out hunting. They walked up close enough where I could see them clearly. They were carrying dead animals. Not only that but they had some blood on them.

.

.

I screamed. I could smell the blood and I just had flashbacks.

"Lucy calm down," Natsu said but I backed away from him.

"Get away from me," I said. "Don't touch me,"

"LUCY," a familiar voice shouted. It was Mira, and Wendy and Erza were with her. Erza looked over at Gray and Natsu. Her aura darkened and she kicked both of them off into the distance.

"Lucy are you ok? Did something happen?" Wendy asked, short of breath. I shook my head.

"No it's just, I saw blood on them and I lost it," I said. "It's my fault, they didn't do anything,"

"It's only natural," Erza said. "After what you've been through, I understand that seeing blood…"

"It wasn't just seeing it!" I cut her off. "I could smell it. I saw the rabbits and deer's eyes wide open, the shock on their face. Just like…just like my father's eyes were," I said. Again, I was crying. "Why can't I stop crying?"

"It's alright to cry," Erza said. "We are here for you," She kneeled before me and placed her hand on my face. It went behind my head and she pulled me towards her chest.

.

.

Well she yanked my head into her armored chest.

.

I was knocked unconscious.

* * *

When I woke up, Erza, Natsu, and Gray apologized to me. I waved it off like it was nothing but my head would say otherwise. Mira convinced me that I should wait a few days before I started running off again. I reluctantly agreed.

"You just woke up after being a sleep for a whole day," Mira ranted. "You could have fallen down a ledge or ran into a wild beast." I knew I deserved this but it didn't make it easier to hear.

"And you Natsu!" He sat straight up when Mira pointed at him. "You should have known that she had a large head wound, what possessed you to head-butt her!" he didn't know what to say.

"Well, it was a heat of the moment kind of thing," he said.

"You're an idiot," Gray said.

"What was that Ice Princess!" Natsu replied.

"I said you were an idiot, idiot," Gray said. Natsu and him were about to butt heads when Erza stood up behind them and slammed them together.

"Shut it, both of you!" Erza yelled. Both of them just sat up straight.

"Yes mam" they said in unison.

"Don't act all high and mighty Erza," Mira said. "You did the same thing as Natsu. I could understand Natsu not looking in the middle of a battle, but you did it when she was still in bandages," Erza looked a bit depressed by Mira's statement.

"There you go Lucy, all patched up." Wendy said. She had been wrapping me up with new bandages since my old ones were dirty.

"Thanks again Wendy," I replied. While Erza and Mira argued, Natsu walked over to me.

"I'm sorry Lucy for scaring you like that," Natsu said. I smiled and waved it off.

"It's alright," I said. "I shouldn't have been wandering off like that anyway," He was frowning.

"Mira, Erza please don't fight!" Wendy said as she ran over to the two loud women. Gray must have slipped out during the commotion.

"Hey Natsu," I said. "Thank you, for saving me," he gave me a big toothy grin.

"Don't mention it, just protecting a friend," he said.

_Friend huh? That's nice to hear_. I thought. I looked around at the Erza and Mira fighting while Wendy is trying to calm them down, ultimately failing.

"Yeah there's never a dull moment around here," Natsu said. I giggled.

_I have strange friends_. I felt happy again. Watching my new friends fight over stupid things and talking normally. But my happiness quickly faded and it seemed Natsu noticed.

"Hey what's wrong?" he asked.

"I feel guilty," I said. "It hasn't been two days since my father's death and here I am, smiling and giggling as if nothing happened." I placed my head on the back of my hands while my elbows rested on my knees. "God, I must be a horrible daughter." Natsu sat right next to me on my cot. He leaned back on the makeshift wall.

"I don't think so," he said. I didn't move nor did I respond. "Everybody grieves in different ways, you know?" he said. "I don't think you'll ever not feel sad about what happened but that doesn't mean you'll never feel happy."

"I guess," I said. I really didn't know what to think or how to feel. I guess I just lost so much that it didn't even matter anymore.

"You'll be happy again, around here, you can't help it!" He sat up and looked at me. I turned to face him.

"Everyone here has a past, a story," he said. "But it doesn't keep them from walking forward with a smile," he smiled at me. I had to admit that it was contagious.

"And what's yours Natsu?" I asked. "What is your story?" he stood up and looked down at me. He was still smiling.

"Once you're better I'll tell you," he said. "Okay?" I nodded.

"Okay," I said. "I can't wait," I smiled back.

"What are you guys talking about?" Mira asked. All three of them just looked at us.

"None of your business," Natsu replied. He lifted his hands behind his head.

"What, making plans to run away together?" Mira said. "I know Lucy was set on finding a husband but I didn't think she would be so desperate," she said. I blushed at her statement.

"NO! You got it all wrong," I said.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN DESPERATE!" Natsu yelled. Wendy, Erza, and Mira laughed.

_It was a joke Lucy. They were joking_. I sighed at my reaction but giggled nonetheless. The next few days were going to be interesting for sure. I just hope I can rest my head before any more excitement pops up.


	4. Chapter 4: Stuck Moving

Over the course of a week I gained some of my freedoms back. I could go outside without having to be escorted by Wendy or Mira. I could also help with some of the everyday chores, such as laundry and cooking. It's amazing how much everyone eats here.

I've met some of the other nomads here. Cana is the local drunk but she is really good at fortune telling. Gildarts is her father but apparently ventures out on his own most of the time. I only know him from a picture she has of him. Mira has two siblings, Elfman and Lisanna. I've seen Lisanna with Natsu a few times. Elfman is apparently engaged to a woman named Evergreen. Their master is Makarov but most people call him master or gramps. Marco is an older member of the clan and has a son Romeo who is a fire wizard. There are many other members but I really don't have time to list them off.

"Lucy, how do you feel about staying with us?" Makarov asked me. He had called me in a while ago to check up on me. He's been really kind and welcoming. I was sitting across from him on the floor of his tent. Mira was sitting next to him and there were two people standing outside.

"I'm not sure, I do have school and my father's business to get back to." I said. "Plus I don't want to burden you with taking care of me,"

"See, here child," he said. "Everyone takes care of each other and everyone helps take care of the clan. It's our duty to smile and cry together and to depend on each other." He said. I nodded. "I understand if that is not the way you were raised. Although most of us are of different clans and backgrounds. Most of us were raised in Fairriver but some were from Silvercoast and Ironpost." He explained.

"I understand," I said. I shot my head up and choked on my breath a bit as I gathered my thoughts. "But my father's business is technically my responsibility." I must have sounded angry because he was taken aback by my statement. He coughed into his fist before responding.

"But is that what you want?" he asked. I went to reply but I couldn't speak. "If you want you can stay with us and travel the world. I'm only insisting since those men seemed to be after the whole family of Heartfilia and not just your father." He said. "I'm sure they will come back for you. Since you don't have a home nor guards it would put you in danger." I face palmed myself.

"I can't believe how reckless I am," I said. "I would have been easy prey." I paused for a second as a new thought came to mind.

"Master Makarov, can I ask you a question?" I asked. He nodded. "Is it possible that I could learn magic here?"

"I don't see why not," he responded. "We might not have the same type of magic as you but I'm sure we can teach you the basics," he said. "All magic starts with the will of the user and the strength of their heart. You will not find a shortage of that anywhere here in the Fairy Tail clan,"

"Alright," I stood up. "I guess that settles it. I will be under your care until I can figure out who those people were and why they killed my father." I said. "Then…I'll figure it out from there," I then realized that I hadn't paid anyone for their services.

"What kind of compensation would you like?" I asked. "I didn't pay you for your performance at my ball or protecting me from the men in suits."

"Don't worry my child, your father paid most of our reward up front," Makarov said. "Since you are part of our clan now, consider the protection simply a friend helping a friend." He smiled towards me.

"Any clan that wouldn't help a young woman in need is shameful," Mira said. I nodded in response.

"Oh, I almost forgot." I said. "I'm meeting up with Happy today." I walked towards the door.

"Don't forget that we will be leaving tomorrow after lunch." Mira said. "We've been stuck here for a little over a week now and we need to find more jobs, so we will be heading back to our base camp."

"Ok, Happy and I are just looking for mushrooms so I don't think it will take that long." I waved them off as I ran out.

I was stuck with Fairy Tail. I know they mean well but I meant it when I said the family business would fall without me. I knew most of my father's business tricks and what he wanted to do with the company. None of the other shareholders nor management did anything without my father's permission. I'm not even sure if they would listen to me, but I don't want my father's legacy fall so easily.

I promised Happy that I would help him hunt down some mushrooms for the trip. Since everyone is all patched up, it's time to get moving. I could tell how anxious everyone was. It's like if they stayed in one spot, they would explode from boredom. A very different way from how I've been living.

"You're late," Happy said when I arrived at our meeting spot.

"Sorry, dishes took longer than I expected," I said. "Now let's get started. I have to be back to help with dinner so let's make this quick," it wasn't until then I noticed that Natsu was leaning on a tree.

"Hey Lucy, long time no see" he said.

"Hi Natsu," I said with a smile. "Didn't think you'll be joining us," I was taken a little back that he was going to be looking for mushrooms. I didn't have much time to talk to him. I've been staying in the medical tent for most of my time with Fairy Tail. Natsu, Gray, and Erza are hunters in the clan and are busy most of the day. At night they fight and cause trouble for the rest of the clan, but everyone simply smiles and lets them duke it out.

"Happy might be a cat but he doesn't have the greatest sense of smell," Natsu said. "Plus you're still not fully recovered yet. There are monsters in these parts of the woods so no one would hear you scream if you got in trouble," Happy nodded in agreement in Natsu's words.

"I see," I said. "Did Happy asked you to join us?" He nodded.

"I knew you wouldn't be much help in a fight," Happy said.

"Shut it cat," I grumbled towards the flying pest. "You asked me to join you in the first place,"

"Well, you look so bored just doing chores so I thought you could use the fresh air," Happy said. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"We're in the middle of a forest, miles away from any civilization. The air couldn't be any fresher," I said. I would have continued but when I opened my eyes Natsu had already started to walk off. So I followed closely.

It was silent. Natsu's hands were laced behind his head, a usual position for him, while Happy just flowed beside him. I was a few paces behind both of them. Natsu was the one to break the silence.

"What do you think of Fairy Tail?" Natsu asked. _What do I think_? I felt like an outsider. Not just with Natsu but with most of Fairy Tail. Their routine was so strange to me that I had a hard time keeping up. They would shout and yell all day and night. It was never quiet except for a few hours before dawn. Even then you could hear chit chatter. They eat so much and so fast. Most of it was just cooked in a pot or grilled. It was always really simple recipes as well.

"I like it, it's not dull," I said. He glanced over at me but kept walking forward. I didn't know how to tell him how alone I felt. Even with all these people I felt alone.

"That's for sure," Happy said. "It can never be dull when Natsu's around. He'll always be there to make a mess of things,"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!" he yelled at the cat. Happy hid behind me. I glared at him but didn't say anything. I was too focused on trying to figure a way back home. I could find some papers or documents that could help keep the company afloat. At least until this whole thing was sorted. Who knows maybe I could become the next head of the company.

"Lucy, Natsu's scary," Happy said like a child. I sighed. I kept my eyes to the ground, thinking of everything.

"What's the matter Lucy?" Happy asked. "Why you look so down?" I didn't want to answer. I felt it was inappropriate to say what I wanted to say. After saving me and nursing me back to health, I felt that I should be nothing but grateful to Fairy Tail. So, I just clenched my dress in my fists in frustration.

_I hate this_, I thought_. I hate people deciding things for me_.

"You don't have to hold back," Natsu said. I looked up and we made eye contact. He had the same eyes he had when he head-butted me. Frustration. Frustrated over what? I didn't know, but for a second, I thought he was going head-butt me again.

"You can say how you feel, you know? We want to help you," he said. "We're you're friends," I lowered my head back to the ground. I clenched my teeth. _Friends don't force you to stay_, I took a deep breath and said what was on my mind.

"I want to go home," I said. "I want to see it for myself,"

"But Lucy, it was burnt down" Happy said. "There isn't anything left,"

"I know," I said. "But I keep thinking that there's something left, that I just left someone behind. And I can't rest until I know for sure that it's all gone." I looked at Natsu, he was taken aback by either my words or my expression. But I relaxed my face and he did so as well. I looked down to the ground again. I felt heartache for my family. "It was only a few months ago that I finally talked to my father without spite,"

"I'll take you back," Natsu said. I felt guilty for using him like this. He's been so helpful and kind to me. He wasn't the one I should be pointing my anger at.

"Natsu…" Happy said quietly.

"I'll take you back," Natsu said. I looked up about to thank you, "But…" he said. " I want you to know that you can trust me," I was confused by his statement. "I want to know if I can trust on you," he said. I paused.

_Did he figure it out?_ I thought. I nodded.

"Good, well then, Happy can I have some paper?" Natsu asked. Happy reached in the little green bag on his back and grabbed a pen and paper. Natsu wrote a quick note and handed it back to Happy.

"I want you to give this to master, it's a note that we will be away for a bit and that he doesn't have to worry," Natsu said. "I also want you to stay at the camp Happy, It will be easier if I just keep my eyes on Lucy,"

"But I can help too," Happy said. "I'm not weak like Lucy, I can fight!" I would have bashed his head in but I kept my mouth shut and just clenched my fists.

_Is this what they think of me?_ I thought. _Well damn them all. I'm not weak._

"I know buddy but I need you to stay with master, he'll get suspicious if you ran off with me," Natsu said. Happy just nodded his head.

"Ok, but if you don't come back by dawn I'm going after you," Happy said. Natsu smiled and patted him on the head.

"Sure thing buddy," Natsu said. Happy then flew away and it was just me and Natsu.

"We better hurry if we want to make it there before nightfall." Natsu said.

"Alright" I replied.


	5. Chapter 5: Manuscript

Happy had flown off and Natsu started to walk away. I followed right behind him, fearing the monsters that could be lurking in the foliage.

I wanted to get to know Natsu but I hadn't talked to him very much in the last few days. With all the chores and work. It was tedious but Mira made it more fun. Natsu was always fighting with Erza and Gray so I never intervened. If I did they would probably, accidently, punch me. One of them could be scary on their own but all three of them were terrifying.

"So," Natsu said, breaking my line of thought. I jumped a bit startled by his voice. "How have you been? I haven't seen you much,"

"Oh," I said. "I've just been cleaning and cooking. It's not what I'm used to but I'm working hard," He started to slow down his pace. Next thing I knew it, he was walking right beside me.

"Do you enjoy it?" He asked. "Do you like Fairy Tail?" He looked at me. I waited to get my thoughts in order but didn't know what to say. "I mean if you don't want to stay you don't have to," he said.

I stopped.

He had taken a few steps before realizing that I was not by his side. He didn't comment at all. So I just continued walking.

Third POV

Makarov was enjoying some company from Mira when Happy flew in.

"What is it Happy?" Mira said.

"Natsu wanted me to give you this," Happy said. He gave the note to Makarov and then sat in Mira's lap.

"What does it say master?" Erza asked. Makarov looked at the note and sighed.

"It appears our guest wishes to return home." Makarov said.

"What do you mean master?" Mira asked. Makarov grumbled a bit then handed the note to Mira. She looked at it as well as Erza.

_Dear Master,_

_Lucy wanted to go to her house to look for something, we will be back. Don't worry about us._

_-Natsu_

The note was hard to read due to some poor penmanship but that was what Mira could gather. There were other words and maybe thoughts but it was too spotty.

"That fool!" Erza said with her fist clenched. "The enemy could still be there," Makarov nodded his head but kept his arms crossed.

"I'm not too worried about the physical well-fair of Lucy but more on the mental well-fair if they do get into a fight and Natsu has to go full out on them." Makarov said. All of them looked at each other with worry.

"I'll go and fetch them," Erza said.

"No, you won't," Makarov replied. Erza was shocked by the response.

"What do you mean master? If I don't go and they end up over powered, Natsu might show.."

"That's why you'll be watching them from afar." Makarov cut Erza off. "I just want you and Gray to go and watch them, not bring them back. The child probably wants some closure and I will not deny her that." Makarov sighed and pinched his nose.

"If you think about it," Mira said. "We're taking her from her homeland and telling her she has to live our way of life."

"Yes but that is how all of us came to Fairy Tail," Happy said. Erza shook her head.

"Most of us had nowhere else to go" Erza said. "Or were very young. Lucy is an adult. She probably has relitives or close friends she could rely on. Her father's business is another place she could go. She could have a life outside of Fairy Tail, if you think about it, we're kidnapping her."

"It can't be helped." Makarov said. "Part of our job was to insure the safety of Lucy Heartfilia, it was her father's dying wish and I'll be damned if I fail." He finished.

"Are you looking into it?" Mira asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes" Makarov said. "I sent Gajeel out a couple days ago to do some digging," all three of them relaxed. Gajeel was always reliable when it came to digging for information.

"Alright then," Erza said. "I'll go find Gray and protect Lucy from the shadows." Makarov nodded her off.

"Go my child," Makarov said.

Lucy's POV

Now it was worse between us. Natsu was still behind me and I had no idea where I was going. He would tell me left or right but I wasn't sure about anything.

The forest was thick. Very little sunlight shone through the trees. It was as if it was night. The light shone through looked like bright stars. The light would blind me every so often. The sensation between warmth and the cold annoyed me. I looked at all the roots and bushes on the ground. Mostly to keep the sun out of my eyes. The trees rustled in the breeze. It was the only sound I could hear.

"Hey Lucy," Natsu said. I looked behind me and saw Natsu kneeling while pointing to the left. I let my eyes follow the direction of his figure and saw some creatures in the distance.

"What are…" I was cut off when he pulled me to the ground next to him. "What was that for," I said. He then placed his finger on his lips and shushed me. I turned to face the creatures he was watching.

The creatures appeared to be dear but they glowed a little white. There were glowing deer.

"Why are they glowing?" I asked Natsu. He chuckled a bit.

"I have no idea," he replied, I huffed "but it's cool right? You would have walked right passed this with your eyes to the ground." I was about to comment but kept my mouth shut. He was right. I would have walked right passed this.

"I guess I should smell the roses every once in a while." I replied. He looked at me with one eye brow up.

"They're deer not roses," He said. "And why would you smell them?" I pinched my nose. _You've got to be kidding._

"It's an expression Natsu, 'Stop and smell the roses'" he just looked at me. He was not satisfied with my answer, "it means to relax and take time out of your day," I explained.

"Oh, I get it." He said. I sighed and looked at the deer again. They were minding their own business, but they seemed to be on guard. They were probably aware of our presents but didn't feel threatened by us at all.

"There's a myth," he said "that they glow because they are choosen by the gods to be saved from hunters. If you kill one, it would bring misfortune to your village or town." He continued.

"Why were they choosen?" I asked. He simply shrugged.

"Don't know, it's just a myth." He replied. "But it's said that if you see one, and don't kill it, it a good omen that luck is coming your way." I nodded. They sure do look angelic so I can see why killing one would be seen as a bad omen.

"Alright, let's go," He said. "We still have a ways to go before we get to your place," He stood up and walked off. "I'll lead this time, so you can't just stare at the ground."

"I was thinking," I said.

"About what?" He asked.

"I was thinking about…" I said as I tried to think up something. In truth I was just spacing out. "What I'm going to do from here on out. After we get back to Fairy Tail and all." I replied.

"Well," He said as he walked. I ran to catch up so I could walk beside him. "Probably help put stuff on the carts, then help Cana in the back of one of them so she can pass out from her hangover,"

"No I meant like," I said as I tried to think of a way to explain it to him. "What am I going to do, like with my father's company and school and work. Like the long term stuff."

"Won't you just stay with Fairy Tail?" He asked. I looked up as his eyes focused on me. I wasn't sure how to answer that since I was planning on ditching him at the estate. I still had to figure out a way to do that.

"I don't know," I answered. He didn't respond.

We eventually got to the estate, the sun was lower in the sky and I was starting to get worried about leaving Natsu. Don't chicken out now.

"Alright I'll give you some time to yourself." Natsu said. "I'll be over here waiting for you," he pointed to the broken gazebo. The benches were fine but the roof was on the other end of the grass.

"Alright," I said. I walked towards the poor excuse for a house. I quickly found my father's office. But it looked like I wasn't the only one who came here. There were file cabinets missing as well as his lock box. It wasn't like they would find anything in those.

My father was an overly cautious man when it came to work. No one but the servants and I knew where he would hide his actual files. There was a secret compartment behind one of his books. That was where he kept his secret files. Mostly future business plans. But there were files he hid that I didn't think were part of work. They were my mother's files. It made sense since the compartment was behind my mother's folklore stories.

I opened it by putting in my birthday as well as the day we found out my mother died. Two dates he always said he would never forget. Two days I won't either. He was never worried I would venture into the compartment since I was never allowed in his office. The servants would never have dared to cross him. He was easily angered, which is why boarding schools were always his first option when it came with disciplining me.

When the compartment opened a bit of dust flew out, it was obvious that no one had found it. I sighed in relief. My father's work was still safe from whoever those suit guys were. I grabbed all of the files and then spread them on his desk.

I sorted out his business files from the miscellaneous. If I was to take over the family business I would have to know what he was planning to do with it.

_Where's the plans damn it_, I couldn't understand half of his writing. It wasn't that it was bad but it was just I couldn't read the cursive he wrote in. He had three different handwriting styles, one was so small and tight, another was simple like quick notes, and another was basically normal. The small and tight one was what he wrote his files in. I would have needed a magnifying glass just to read it. Most likely he wrote in code.

"I give up." I said. I leaned back in his chair. "Unless I come to the company with a plan they won't take me seriously. If anything they'll just ask for a price to sell the rest of the shares," I was defeated by my lack of a relationship with my father. If I would have forgiven him sooner I might have earned his trust when it came to the business. _Or at least understood him better_.

I leaned forward and rested my chin on my palm as I looked at his notes. There was no way in hell I could understand these.

"What am I going to do," I asked myself. I looked over at the miscellaneous files and saw my mother's name on them.

"They must be her field notes," I said as I reached for them. It was a bit thick and seemed to be a manuscript of some type. It was titled "Origins of Magic", obviously this caught my attention. I opened it up to read a few sentences but I quickly read the first few chapters.

"Lucy," I jumped at the sound of my name. Apparently Natsu wasn't going to continue waiting for me. If I wanted to run, I should have done it a while ago. But the book captured much of my attention.

"What is it Natsu?" I asked. He sighed then smiled. The change of emotions were a bit quick. It seemed he was more relaxed than when he first came in the room.

"I was bored waiting, and I'm sure we should be leaving. Is there anything you need before we head back?" He asked. He looked at the book in my hand and then back at me. "Are you smelling the flowers again?" he asked.

"The roses," I said. "And no. I was looking for some files my dad might have left but I found something else instead. Something far more interesting."

"So you got distracted by the roses," he replied. I shrugged as I continued to read through my mother's notes.

"I guess you could say that." I said. It seemed that something was missing. It was obviously incomplete but I was hoping that there would be more.

"This books describes a time before magic," I said. He perched up a bit and moved to stand behind me and looked over my shoulder. "It's described that there was a war between humans and gods. Of course the gods were winning but at some point a few humans gained the power of the gods and the tides turned. Humans were winning."

"Sounds cool, like god slayers or something," Natsu said. I shook my head.

"No, the magic wasn't specific at this point," I said. Natsu looked like he took offence to my comment. "It's describe that all magic came from these few people. Magic didn't split out into types until after the wars." I replied.

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"It means they had a pure magic. The first magic," I said. "It was just pure power," I grabbed a notebook from the miscellaneous pile. "Ah, here it says that magic might be weakened due to the sharpening of it over the last few centuries."

"I don't think these people have met me, my magic is pretty strong," Natsu replied.

"Well, it doesn't say anything about dragon slayers," I said. "But it still isn't pure magic." I closed the books and took a thinking man's pose. "After watching you, Gray, and Erza fight, I can't imagine what pure power looks like." Their destruction was huge during the night of the ball. It's hard to believe that there was someone or something stronger than them.

"What does this have to do with anything?" Natsu asked.

"Well, if there was a way to purify magic and make it stronger, the information would definitely be valuable." I explained. "I mean think about it, even the magic council wizards are from different disciples. So in theory their magic is inferior. After all, a pure magic user could use any type of magic. At least in theory."

"That wouldn't work," Natsu said. I looked up at him, he had a very serious face.

"How would you know?" I admit I was defensive but he was criticizing my mother's work. I wasn't going to take it lightly.

"Well, magic isn't just one thing," He said. "It's what you make of it. Magic is different to different people. And those differences compliment other people's differences. Those people team up and that's how gypsy clans are started." He walked towards the wall behind me. Well, where the wall was. "If these notes are right, that means that gypsies are the weakest wizards. I know for a fact that nothing can beat Fairy Tail." He sounded confident. He raised his right fist up in front of his face and lit it on fire. "I might or might not be the strongest person in the world, but when it comes to my clan," his fist burnt out and he looked up at the ombre blue sky.

"There is nothing in this world that can stop me." He said.

I smiled a bit and chuckled. He looked confused at the gesture.

"What's funny?" he asked.

"Nothing, just releasing some tension from earlier." I said. He just puffed his cheeks in frustration. I shrugged and went back to reading the notes.

"I wasn't kidding Lucy," Natsu said. I didn't move. "We really need to go back, it's getting dark and we aren't safe here."

"I will after I read this," I replied. He groaned in response. "I'm sorry that this wasn't more interesting but I need to finish this now. Just go back to the gazebo and wait," I said rather harshly.

"I can't" he said. "If I do I know you'll run," this got my attention. I turned to face him. He was looking at me. I was caught.

"See I knew it, you were hoping that if we split up you could run away." He said. "But what you don't know is that I got a really sensitive nose and could find you pretty easily. Plus I run way faster than you and I have more stamina. If nothing else I could just burn the place down."

"Why do you even want me to stay," I asked.

"We promised your father we would protect you in case anything happened." Natsu said. "So we're keeping the promise we made,"

"Is that all?" I asked. I didn't know what I was looking for. After all, I've only been with them for a week or so. It wasn't like I was an official member. I was just a guest and a client. "After all, he can't pay you now. He's dead. So what's the use of protecting me."

"What's your problem?" Natsu said. He was grabbing his hair and pulling it. "I swear you are the biggest weirdo I've ever met," _what did he call me_.

I hit him, I kicked him into the bookshelves which caused the books to fall on top of him.

"It must suck for you to babysit this weirdo," I said with my fist clenched. "It must suck to watch over this crybaby. Well, don't worry, I won't be with you anymore." I grabbed my mother's notes and book and walked over the rumble towards the forest.

"Hey where are you going?" He said.

"I'm getting out of your hair, so don't worry about me idiot!" I yelled. I couldn't stand him. First he insults my mother's work and then he insults me. He doesn't know me. He has no idea what my life was like. My mother wouldn't be wrong and there was no way in hell I was going to take any more of his crap.

"LUCY" I heard Natsu yell. I groaned. I stopped and placed my fist on my hip.

"What is it now," I said he was running towards me. He looked panicked.

"GET DOWN!" he yelled. I was confused at first and turned towards my left. It was a man with a magic gun. It was aimed at me and I heard the blast. I suddenly felt a pain in my right shoulder. I looked down and there was blood.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH" I screamed. I fell to the ground and grabbed my shoulder.

"LUCY!" Natsu yelled. I was crying, it was as painful as the burns I had on my legs. Actually, it was worse.

"NATSU!" I screamed. He rushed to my side and lifted me up in his arms. "Grab the book!" I said. He looked confused but then grabbed all the papers. He gave them to me. "I need your vest," I said. He didn't think, he just took of his vest and I wrapped the books in it so I wouldn't get blood on them.

"SHE HAS THE BOOK!" a crowd of men in suits yelled. Natsu lifted me up and held me bridal style as he ran into the forest. But he stopped. There were suits hiding in the trees. They threw some magic at us but Natsu dodge them.

"Damn it," I whimpered. "If I would have listened to you…"

"Don't think about that right now," Natsu said. "you can apologize later, right now we need to get out of here," I nodded.

He ran around the estate but there were too many suits. They kept shooting at us but missing. Natsu was getting worn out.

"Natsu, put me down," I said.

"No way am I leaving you," He said. "I was told to protect you and that's what I'm going to do,"

"Idiot," I said.

"Are you trying to start a fight weirdo," He said.

"I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO LEAVE ME BEHIND," I yelled. He stopped running. This allowed the suits to catch up to us and surround us. We were trapped.

"I wanted you to put me down so you could fight." I said. I was getting tired and I knew that if Natsu kept running around, his stamina would drain.

"Alright," he said. "But don't leave my side," I blushed but nodded. He carefully sat me down. When he stood up he was engulf in flames. I could see the veins in his face bulge.

"You picked the wrong guy to mess with," Natsu said to the crowd. A few backed up. But some behind us ran towards me. Natsu blasted them away.

"IF YOU TOUCH HER I'LL TURN YOU TO ASH," he yelled. My heart almost stopped. "I dare you to come closer," He said. This wasn't the fun loving Natsu I knew, this was a different side of him. His dragon side. And I was the horde of treasure. As objectifying as it sounds, it was pretty accurate in describing the situation.

"And if you mess with him, you'll answer to us," Said a familiar feminine voice in the distance. I suddenly saw guards flown up in the air. Another group's feet were frozen.

"Erza, Gray," I said. "You're here," if it wasn't that I was crying from the pain of getting shot by a magical bullet, I would have cried at that moment— when I saw Erza in her demonic armor and Gray with only pants on. "Thank you," I mumbled. I passed out at that moment. It was all too much for me to handle.

When I woke up, I was back in the first aid tent, but it looked different. Mira was asleep on some crates but I couldn't see Windy. I shifted out of the cot to walk outside. My right shoulder was wrapped up. It hurt just to move my arm. When I stood up I noticed that the ground was shaking and so was the cot. I was a bit shocked but then I noticed the sound of wheels and people talking outside. It was obvious that we were on the move. I walked over to the draped, make-shift door, and pushed the fabric aside.

I was on a large wagon. There were people walking beside it and more wagons and carts behind us. It was a train of them. I knew most of the people, it was just members of Fairy Tail. Most of them didn't look at me, they were too engaged in their own conversations. I did wave to Marco since he was driving the cart behind mine.

"You're awake!" Wendy said as she ran up to the wagon. I nodded my head. "That's good, we were worried you would be out of it for a while. Lucky for us it was only a few hours."

"What happened?" I asked. Wendy Jumped up on the cart and sat on the back ledge, just big enough for her to sit on but a bit small for me. So I stayed in the wagon and just sat on the floor.

"Erza said that after they beat up the men in suits they saw that you were unconscious so they ran as fast as they could to get you to Mira and me. It seemed that the magic bullet had a tranquilizer spell attached to it. So we figured it would take a while for you to wake up." She explained. She giggled a bit. "You should have seen Natsu, he was really worried about you" Her legs swung back and forth. I felt a slight blush on my cheeks. "But Erza calmed him down. If you want I can tell him you're awake," she said.

"N-No thank you," I stuttered. It was too early to deal with him. I then remembered what I grabbed from my house. "But could you tell me what happen to the papers I had?" I asked.

"Oh, Levy has them. She saw the book and started reading it." Wendy said.

"WHAT!" I yelled. Someone else was reading my mother's notes, notes she might have been killed over. Notes my father was probably killed over. I remember the men in suits screaming for my mom's book. Now someone else is reading it. "Tell me where she is," I said. Wendy looked nervous. Thanks to my reaction, most of the clan looked at me. Even Mira was now awake.

"Hey Lily," Wendy said. A black cat suddenly flew towards us. "Could you go get Levy, tell her she's needed at the health wagon right away," the cat nodded and flew off. I let the fabric door fall back into its natural position and sat on my cot_._

_I can't belief I'm still here_. I thought. _I was supposed to ditch Natsu and run off._ I sighed in frustration.

"I'm sure everything is alright," Mira said, snapping me out of my mind. "Levy was probably curious. The title seemed to be interesting."

"Well, that book," I said. "Is probably why my parents are dead," Mira didn't comment. She just sat up. "I just don't want anyone reading it. It's the last thing my mother wrote before she died and it's the reason I don't have a home anymore."

"I'm sorry," Mira said. "I should have taken it from Levy before she ran to read it." I felt guilty for being angry with her. She didn't deserve it.

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have gone back," I said. "I put everyone at risk including myself."

"Yes you did," Mira didn't even hesitate when she said that. "You abused Natsu's trust, which was not very nice." She said. Her voice changed when she said that. It was deeper and threatening.

"I-I know," I said. "And there isn't a good excuse for it,"

"Hey Mira, what do you need?" A short blue haired girl walked into the wagon. She wore a orange dress and had a head band in her hair.

"I would like the book you've been reading, 'Origin of Magic' is the title I believe?" Mira said. The girl I assumed to be Levy nodded.

"Yeah, it's hard to translate since it's in code, but it's really interesting," She reached in her satchel and pulled out the manuscript. It was just like I left it. She handed it to Mira. Mira then reached for her own bag and slipped it in.

"But that's mine!" I said.

"You'll get it back after you're healed." Mira said. "If I give it to you now, you'll just run away, again." I flinched. It wasn't that I would, I thought about it but I didn't think I could find my way home at this point.

"Fine," I said. I looked up at the blue haired girl. She smiled at me but I just looked away. At the door I saw a familiar figure with spiky hair.

"Natsu!" I said, a little too eagerly. Mira giggled and I blushed.

"Lucy, you're up!" He said as he entered the Wagon. It was starting to get tight. He looked fine but once he took a step he bent over and held his stomach.

"Natsu you know you have motion sickness," Mira said. "You can't even ride a wagon for a second without wanting to throw up,"

"Really?" I said. _He's pathetic_. I was saved by this man. I sighed and held my head.


	6. Chapter 6: Baked Goods

**A/N: Sorry about the wait. I've been writing only at night after getting some of my research done for some of my college papers. I'll work on a more scheduled release of my chapters. Anyway, I don't own Fairy Tail and probably never will. **

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The next few days were uneventful, at least compared to earlier in the week. We've been working our way to Fairriver, my mother's homeland. I agreed to stay with Fairy Tail for a little longer, at least until we get to my mother's village, Asmissen. It's almost in the middle of the country. Makarov agreed to take me there, on the hope that some family was still there.

I was allowed to walk with the wagons. Which was great since Natsu couldn't ride in them. I had spent more time with him and helped as much as I could. I felt guilty for misleading him and wanted to make it up to him. He even tried to convince Mira in letting me read my mother's manuscript while I healed, he failed of course but he at least tried. Although, he still hasn't told me anything about himself. He's still a bit of a mystery to me.

I've made friends with Levy, she knows more about books than I do. We talked about magical theory and she showed me her magic. She's able to make words into weapons, it's really cool.

After a week of traveling we reached the first village. It was much smaller than I imagined. We were still in Fiore but closer to the boarder, magic seemed to be a bit more out in the open yet some people still glared at us. Mostly the farmers on the outskirts. They wouldn't glare but they did look curious. Probably because of our outfits. Most of the village was modest while we were…not.

We had to camp in a designated area and Makarov paid a security fee that was mandatory for all nomads. It was common practice, most Fiore towns didn't want nomads walking through the town with their carts and wagons so they made special roads for them. Well, usually they were longer and less maintained than the normal routes.

We settled in and set up a small camp then Natsu, Happy, Erza, Gray, and I walked towards the town. We were getting looks from the townspeople. I wasn't surprised, nothing about these three were common. Erza in her everyday armor set, Gray wearing only black pants and a silver necklace, and then Natsu, wearing a black vest with puffy white pants and a white scarf. I was just in a simple long tribal dress that was given to me by Mira, it was apparently one that was usually worn for festivals but she said it shouldn't be a big deal if I borrow it.

As a matter of fact, we were in town to buy clothes. I needed something else to wear since we were traveling south, it would only get warmer so I needed something light to wear. I made sure to grab my own money, some that I had in my bag with my celestial keys. It was a small amount that I was used to, but most people could live off of it for a few months. Plus I don't have to pay for room and board so it is really just wasting away in my possession.

"This store looks like it has what we need," Erza pointed to a small hut with a needle and thread sign. It was a common symbol for a tailor. There wasn't much variety when it came to store signs. It was the same town to town, so it was easy for merchants.

"Aye Sir!" Happy said as he flew in. I followed the group.

The store had a very nice stock but most of it wasn't the kind of fabrics I was accustomed to. Most of them were only in white, black, and brown. There wasn't very much color.

"Hello miss," a short man said. He was apparently the store owner. At least that's what I assumed. He didn't have much going for him but he had an interesting get up. "What brings you to my store?" he said.

"We're looking for some clothes that would fit this young woman," Erza said. She placed her hand on my shoulder. "We are traveling to Fairriver so we need fabric that breathes and quite moveable. We will also be on the road for quite a while so we need it to be sturdy." The shop owner nodded and smiled.

"I have just the thing you need." He walked into a small room behind his desk. He came back out with some clothe that appeared to be Tiretain fabric. It was light and great for the summer but usually very rough. "This should fit you," he said. I was almost appalled. Erza reached out and touched it. She groaned a bit and crossed her arms.

"How much would this cost?" she asked.

"I would sell it to you for 3 silver pieces." He said. Erza hesitated. I wasn't surprised. Most nomads carry only a few silver pieces. The amount I have on me is 3 gold pieces and 14 silver pieces. One gold piece is worth 20 silver pieces, at least with the current economy. I hadn't told Erza that I had my own money with me. I knew I should have told her but it didn't cross my mind till now.

"That's much too high, how about one silver piece?" Erza asked. The shop keeper frowned a bit.

"I could sell it to you for two, meet half way," the shop keeper said.

"Come on pops, we don't have a lot of money on us," Natsu said. Really I was surprised that he wasn't unconscious, the smell of the dyes could make a normal person disgusted. He looked agitated but not fainty.

"I need to keep my business and I have bills to pay. Not all of us can just get up and walk off." He said. Natsu groaned but walked towards the wall and leaned.

"We don't want to insult you," Erza said. "We just want some new cloths for our friend." This was when I had enough.

"Mister, may I speak to you?" I asked. Erza was about to say something but I stopped her. "Don't worry Erza I can talk to him myself." I whispered to her. I walked up to the shop keeper.

"It's apparent that this fabric is tiretain, is it not?" I asked. He simply nodded. "I see," I paced towards the more colorful cloths, dark blues and greens, "but most of your store is filled with cotton and blended fabrics."

"Yes those are more valuable and common in the local area," the shopkeeper said. "Most of the locals come in for new work wear,"

"I would assume so" I said. "Since the tiretain fabric you have is faded and the creases seemed to be set in. It would be my guess that it doesn't sell very well in this market," he nodded.

"More merchants traveling south would buy it but very few travel this road." He explained.

"I doubt that merchants would buy that," I said. "Most merchants pass tiretain since it's seen as a very low class fabric. If they did it would usually be blended with silk to make it look nobler." I grabbed the fabric out of his hands, gently of course. "No it's obvious that this was made from scratch pieces. The craftsmanship is poor and patchy." I said with a sigh.

"Are you insulting me?" the shopkeeper looked agitated.

"No," I said calmly. "I just wanted to know what sort merchant you were," I said. I placed the fabric down and walked back towards Erza with my arms crossed behind my back.

"Lucy" Erza said, gently grabbing my arm. "I wouldn't agitate him anymore if you want clothes," she whispered in my ear. I smiled.

"Yes, I know, I guess we'll have to make a deal somewhere else." I said. I sighed and shook my head.

"That's not what…" Erza said before I cut her off.

"So unfortunate really, I'm sure this shop would have been a great asset to the Heartfillia Company." I said as I walked towards the door.

"Wait!" the shopkeeper said. I stopped with a small grin on my face. "You work for the Heartfillia's?" he asked. I turned to face him.

"Yes, I am a rep. of Jude Heartfillia," I answered. "I was given orders to scout out possible partners in the area of textiles." I walk back to Erza's side. "We are thinking of expanding our company and wanted to partner with some smaller merchants." I pointed to the gang behind me. "These nomads are my guards to ensure my safety on the roads while I travel. They are also a test of character for many of the merchants I meet. Since there is still a prejudice against magic users." I explained. "Since The Heartfillia Company doesn't have a prejudice against magic users, we want our merchants to share that belief."

"Oh I see," he said. "I apologize for my behavior, I would never have guessed a beautiful woman such as yourself would be in business. I can see why you hired these men to protect you." He said.

"And woman," I corrected. He just gave an awkward smile. "Well, I'm feeling generous today and I think I'll let things slide. However," I paused. "My cohorts were not lying about needing clothes for our travels." I walked towards his desk. There was a large map of the neighboring landscape. I straightened my posture. I swear if I had a mirror I would have looked just like my father.

"We are conducting business further south and I would be much appreciated if you could show us some more suitable fabrics for a lady of my status." I said. "As well as some spare cloths since this would be a long trip. I'm sure, if successful, Mr. Heartfillia would show much appreciation,"

"I'm sure I have just the thing in the back." The shopkeeper said as he ran to the storage room. After hearing some things drop and possibly break, he ran towards me and showed me a wonderful outfit.

"This outfit would definitely be helpful in conducting business in the south." He said. "In Fairriver it is not uncommon for merchant women to wear more trousers than skirts so I grabbed some thin black trousers. It goes very well with this white undershirt, which is very form fitting. I figured that you could have this blue vest over it for a more conservative look." I went to the back to switch into it.

He was right, they did go together very well. The trousers were more like tights. The white undershirt was formfitting but the ¾ sleeves were loose and had a nice flow. The blue vest made the bottom of the shirt look like a white skirt. The vest has a small v-shaped dip that allows the strings on the undershirt to hang loose as well as some cleavage to be exposed. I tied the vest up with some tan strings. It was subtle but was an outfit of a high class merchant.

"Looks doable," Erza said with a smile.

"Yeah better than those rags," Gray said. I nodded and smiled.

"Yes I believe these would work well." I said but something was missing. There would be no way for my keys to hang on to. "Is there a belt I could purchase as well?" I asked. The shopkeeper nodded and grabbed a light brown belt with a pouch attached.

"This should do," I said. "How much for the whole outfit?" I asked.

"Usually I would sell this for 20 silver pieces," He said. "But for you I would sell it for 15, no 10 have it for 10 silver pieces," he said.

"But sir," Erza said.

"Alright, you have a deal," I said, cutting her off. Erza just looked at me. She looked frustrated. I had completely forgotten that I haven't told them that I had my own money. "Here is your payment good sir," I handed him the 10 silver pieces. That was enough for a modest man to live off of for a few months. I still have no use of it at the moment so I don't feel as bad parting with it.

"Thank you for your business," he said. I nodded.

"I'll make sure if I run into any other merchants, to tell them to come to this shop," I said. I grabbed Mira's dress and folded it. When all of us walked out of the store and closed the door, Erza spoke up.

"You are clearly your father's daughter," she said.

"No," I replied. "My father wouldn't have even paid for this outfit, he would have gotten it for free, knowing him,"

"Still that was a useful technic but I would be more hesitant in using it in the future," Erza said. "Since you're father's death will become public soon,"

"That's why I said I was a representative," I said. "Most reps never reach the actual headquarters of the business, so they are usually out in the field. They receive their orders either on the phone or mail." I explained.

"You're point?" Erza asked.

"So if he did receive news that my father died," I said. "He would most likely assume that I didn't know. He might be upset that he won't have direct contact with the head of the company, like I was offering, but as long as he knows I'm alive, he still has a chance to profit."

"Why is that?" Gray asked. It seemed that I spark most of their interest. Well, not Natsu's, he was too busy looking at the food in the market.

"Well, I said I was a rep for Jude Heartfillia, so I had direct contact. Even if my 'boss' died I would still be a valuable asset and thus the company would still heavily invest in my ventures. Since even Jude found me valuable."

"So, since you are seen as a partner of your fath— I mean Mr. Heartfillia, the business would consider your investments, Mr. Heartfillia's investments." Erza stated.

"Yes" I responded. "So in other words, I fully have the trust of this merchant. If I were to go back to the business, I would have a duty to at least discuss a contract with him."

"Do you plan to?" Gray asked. I nodded.

"Of course," I said. "I always keep my promises." I boasted. "That's part of being a celestial wizard." I was glad I was able to impress them. For the last few weeks, I was just a guest and a child they had to watch. Making sure I wouldn't run off but also that I was entertained. It was annoying but hopefully they see that I can take care of myself.

"Lucy could you get me some food!" Natsu said.

"No," I said. "If you want food, use your own money." He just pouted.

"Which reminds me,"Erza said. "Why didn't you tell us you had your own money?"

"Well, I just assumed that you knew." I answered. "After all, I am—was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. So carrying money is not uncommon."

"I just assumed that most of it was in credit," Erza said.

"I can see the confusion." I said. "Most merchants of the higher classes do use credit or contracts as opposed to actual money. Contracts aren't valuable unless your name is written on it, so it's less likely to be stolen. There are some forgers out there but hard to come by and are expensive to employ."

"Yes that's why most prefer credit," Erza said. "Even some of our employers hand us a onetime use card for any merchant that wears their company's crest." She explained.

"Yes," I said. "But credit wouldn't be useful in this area. There isn't much traffic through here so there isn't a real reason for trade routes. It would make more sense to have a trade route more east of here, heading towards the capitol city of Fairriver." I went on. "So credit would mean nothing to these merchants. Luckily I had some money in my bags before leaving my house."

"That's nice and all" Gray said. "But we still have stuff to do," He walked towards the stalls. Natsu was still looking in the bakery that was close by, no doubt entranced by the warm breads and goods served there. Erza followed Gray.

"I'll be looking for a new sword," Erza said. "Please keep track of Natsu, I don't want him destroying anything. It's bad enough we're banned from three towns already." I would have asked for more details about the other three towns but I didn't want to ask Erza, she wasn't the best storyteller. I could always ask Natsu.

Happy and Natsu looked as if they hadn't eaten in days. They had of course, Mira was very good at keeping everyone fed and Natsu's hunting party was always good at…well hunting.

"If you keep staring the bread will hop up and hide," I said. He jumped a bit but didn't look my way. There was only one way of getting Natsu's attention. Not that I needed it or anything. It was just getting awkward watching over him.

I sighed and walked towards the bakery door.

When I entered, I smelled sugar and cinnamon. This meant this baker had very good connections. Most bakeries in this area didn't have cinnamon. It was mostly a city spice at the moment, but things are changing. Many spices that were once rare are becoming more common thanks to new trade agreements with Fairriver. Plus the influx of nomads and other merchants have spread the wealth as well.

"How may I help you dear?" A woman asked. With the flour on her face and in her hair, it was safe to assume she was the baker.

"I was wondering if you had any spicy treats for sale," I asked. She looked confused by my questioned.

"I have some cinnamon cookies," she said. "Would those work?" I thought about it but I didn't think Natsu would go for anything that sweet. Cinnamon was a spice but it didn't have a kick he would like.

"What spices do you have?" I asked.

"Well, the usual; Allspice, cinnamon, clove, and ginger" she said. "And the eggs, flour, and other main ingredients for cakes and such. Are you wanting to make your own?" She asked.

"Yes," I replied. "Do you have any peppers?" I asked.

"Peppers?" she said. I nodded.

"Yes, spicy peppers. In south of Fairriver, there are these plants that have seeds that cause the mouth to feel like it's on fire. Many locals eat them as if it's a rite of passage but some merchants have found more tame plants and started selling them to many restaurants."

"No," she said. "I don't have peppers, I'm sorry," she frowned.

"No, it's alright," I said. "It's still a new item. I'm not surprised that a town like this doesn't have it here. I just thought that since you have cinnamon, you might sell the peppers as well."

"Oh," she said. "The only reason I have cinnamon is because a nomad came by and bartered with me. I traded him some chocolate cookies for a bag of cinnamon sticks." She explained. "I have to say, I've gotten much more business now with the cinnamon and I think I'll purchase some more." She smiled.

"Yes, it doesn't surprise me that nomads are starting to use old barter technics to become more accepted in small towns." I said. "There are still people who don't trust magic users, even ones from their own country. So it's a slippery slope. But by bartering, it creates relationships with the locals and creates a source of revenue."

"Money can't always buy happiness but it can buy peace." She said.

"In most cases," I replied. "Well, I guess I'll just have to have a dozen of your cinnamon cookies," she nodded and started to fill a bag with the fresh cookies.

"The idea of putting pepper in baked goods is strange, what would you have paired with it?" she asked.

"Probably chocolate," I said. "I've seen it done before. The chocolate is a rich flavor and the peppers complement it well."

"I might use that idea," she said. "I hope you don't mind," she handed the bag to me and I gave her a silver coin.

"Not at all," I said. "I just hope I can try some," I smiled.

"Of course," she said. "What was your name?"

"Lucy,"

"Nice to meet you Lucy," She said. "My name is Veronica and this is my bakery _Sweeten Tooth_." she smiled and I smiled back. "I hope to meet you again," she waved as I walked towards the door.

"Like wise," I said as I waved back.

When I got outside I was attacked by two starving fairies. They grabbed the bag of cookies out of my hand and demolished them. I didn't even get one.

"Hey," I said. They didn't even acknowledge me. "I bought those!"

"For us," Happy said.

"How would you know?!" I said. "I could have bought them for myself." They didn't care, they just scarfed them down. Though the smiles on both their faces subsided my anger, my frustration was all that remained. I was just sad that I didn't get at least one of the cookies.

"Thanks Lucy," Natsu said. He had a huge smile. I blushed a bit and turned away.

"We should find the others," I said. "We need to go back to camp to help with dinner," There was silence between us for a moment.

"Alright," Natsu said. "If you say so," I started to walk forward as soon as I heard his steps. It was just like in the forest. Except, there wasn't a clear place to go. We were just walking. I had no idea where Erza and Gray could be. I could have asked Natsu but when I looked back he looked like he had something on his mind. Happy just walked right next to him, as content as a cat could be.

"Lucy do you even know where you're going?" Happy asked.

"No, not really." I mumbled. _Damn cat_. "It's not like we have to rush, I just want to know where they're at,"

"I'm bored," Natsu said. "Can't we just go back to camp? I don't want to see stripper and Erza yet."

"Why not?" I asked. I should have known the answer.

"Because it's stripper and Erza," Natsu said. I knew it was just because Gray and him would fight, and Erza would beat them into submission. There wasn't much too it. As much as Natsu is simple, I can't help but feel a bit of mystery from him. I mean I've only known him for a few weeks now but I only know a few things about him. He's always hungry, he cares for his friends, and he has a scarf he really cares about. Other than his magical powers it seems there isn't much to him. I mean he cares for Happy quite a bit.

"Hey Natsu," I said. He looked towards me and grunted. "I was wondering if you could tell me your story," I said. He tilted his head to the side. I smiled and looked up. "You said if I got better, you would tell me about yourself." I turned towards him. "Well I'm better now, plus you can think of it as payment for the doughnuts,"

"I thought you got those for us because we were friends," Happy said. I crossed my arms.

"Well," I said. "I got them originally because you two drooled over them so much I felt I had to get something. But I didn't think you were going to eat all of them." I sighed and looked at Natsu. "Look, if you don't want to talk I won't force you. I just want to get to know you better,"

"No," Natsu said. I perked up. "We can talk, but can we eat first. I'm still hungry" he grinned. I wasn't shocked but I still couldn't believe how empty this boy's stomach was.

"Errr…Fine," I said. "Only one meal, my money is supposed to last me for a while." We walked around till we found a small café that had an outside eating area. We sat down and ordered our food. Natsu of course ordered three entrees. I only had a small salad since I knew that there would be a good amount of food at dinner.

"Alright, what's your story?" I asked him. "What's the story of the great Salamander?" it was his stage name, I only picked it up the other day when one of the wizards used it in passing.

"Well," He said. "I was raised by my father, do you remember that?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, he is a dragon and he taught me dragon slaying magic. But one day he just disappeared. So I tried to look for him but I couldn't find him. So one day, I ran across a gypsy clan and they offered me a place to stay and a promise of adventure. I of course said yes. The rest is history,"

"Is that it?" I asked. I was slightly disappointed.

"Yeah," he said. "Were you expecting something else?" he asked. I had to admit I was. It was sad that his father left him alone but it wasn't like a great death or anything.

"I guess I thought there would be more but I don't know what I was expecting." I said as I took a sip of my water.

"Never mind me, what about you?" He asked. "I know you're a rich girl and all but is there any more? Like what about your mom?" he asked.

"I guess," I said. I wasn't sure how to explain everything. Well I knew how but I just didn't know how much or how comfortable I was sharing everything. "My mom was a scholar of sorts. She had done a lot of research in original magic. She help in the Eastern War and that was where she met my father. They fell in love and after the war, got married. I came along a few years later and all of us were one happy family." I said. I looked down at my water cup. Watching the ripples. "She would leave for long trips, researching. She would always come back with books and strange new items from towns she visited. My father would be so happy when she would come back. All of us were." I said, the ripples in my water became more frequent.

"But one day…she didn't come back." I said. "My father received a letter saying that she was killed while exploring a cave. They thought it was animals but wounds were too precise. So it was believed that she was murdered." I stopped to let myself breathe in. Natsu and Happy didn't stop me. They looked curious but cautious at the same time. "The only thing missing was her notebooks. So it was obvious that they were after her research." I said.

"I just wish," I said. "That I could have spent more time with her," I wasn't crying but I felt the weird tightness in my chest. I noticed in my reflection that I had a faint smile. I didn't know why I was smiling, it was the opposite of how I felt. "My father then, locked himself up. He sent me from one boarding school to another. We would fight when I came home for breaks. One day, he slapped me." I said. "I can't even remember what I said. But I can still feel the sting on my cheek." I rubbed at my left cheek. "He gave me a look of guilt and regret, but I didn't care. I just wanted him dead." Natsu flinched a bit at the last part.

"I know," I said. "It's funny that the moment I wanted him dead, was the time he was there for me. But when I felt comfortable around him and felt like we were a family again, he was murdered." The glass of water was nearly spilling in my hands. "Part of me wonders if it was my fault that they died. That, it was that stupid teen wish that caused my father's death." I looked up and could see the frustration in Natsu's eyebrow.

"I don't think so," Natsu said. "It wasn't your fault that he died. It was those bastards," His teath were clenched. He was trying to comfort me but my emotions didn't change. I knew a few nice words wouldn't make them change.

"Thank you Natsu, it means a lot to hear that." I said. I gave him a smile and then looked back down at my cup. "But I'm still going to be sad about it for a few days." The heat coming off his body seemed to subside so I figured he calmed down a bit.

"Yeah, of course." He said. "That's fine. I rather you be sad and honest then faking a smile all the time. More people get worried if you fake it then if you actually look like how you feel."

"Yes but sometimes," I said. "If you fake a smile long enough, it makes it real." I took a sip of water.

"That's not true." He said. "Laugh if you're happy, cry when you're sad, and shout if you're angry. It's fine, because we will be here for you. Anyway, you're not going to be sad all the time, just like you can't be happy all the time. That's life." He said. "So don't just fake it so other people don't worry, they're going to worry either way." He said. "Share your pain, it makes it easier for you and it allows other people to feel like they are helping you. It's a win-win situation." He said with a smile. I was about to rebuttal but he looked too happy.

"I guess you're right." I said. The waiter brought out our food. "Time to eat" I said, he was almost finished before I even started.

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**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know it's a slow build up but I kind of wanted the relationships between the members to be stable before throwing them into the next adventure. R&amp;R**


	7. Chapter 7: Kidnapped

_**A/N: I don't own Fairy Tail and probably won't ever. This is just my fanfiction! Please feel free to leave a comment at the end of your viewing.**_

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Natsu, Happy, and I made it back to the camp. I wanted to look for Erza but he said that they would be fine. After all their Fairy Tail wizards.

I had to admit, he was smarter than he seemed but I think it was an unknown smartness (At least to him). Although, he doesn't act the same way around me. He's childish at times but for the most part he is quiet, but when he's with the members of Fairy Tail, he's loud, arrogant, and obnoxious at best. He dances on tables while people are still eating, he starts fights for no apparent reason, and sings loudly with the drunk members. I've witness Erza beat him down and try to knock so sense into him (physically). Nothing seems to work. Yet, when he's with me…He's a different person.

Not only that but he wasn't telling me his whole history either. There's more to him than he's telling me. For one, a dragon doesn't give birth to a human, what happened to his human parents? Like how did he meet his father? I don't doubt him saying that his father is a dragon but he must have had a mother. Who was she?

Questions I feel I won't get the answers to but won't stop repeating in my head.

"Lucy do you want some fish?" Happy asked. I shook my head and stood up from the crate I was sitting on, while waiting for Natsu. He had left to go fish in a lake he "smelled" on the way here.

"Hey Happy, do you know who your parents are?" I asked.

"Not really," Happy said. "Natsu said he found my egg. So I guess that makes Natsu my dad. Lisanna helped Natsu take care of me at first. So I guess she's kind of a mom." He explained. It was kind of cute. I wondered if Natsu and Lisanna have anything going on. I don't usually see them together. Lisanna is usually with Elfman, her brother. Natsu might chat with her but I've never seen any indication for anything more. I had more questions I felt I would never get the answer to.

"Don't you ever wonder who your real parents are?" I asked.

"Not really," he said. "I'm happy how I am now, Fairy Tail is my family, I don't need to know anything else than that." He chewed on his fish. I smiled.

"I guess you're right." I said. I guess I'm the only one who thinks like this.

"Well" I said. "I'm bored, want to go on an adventure?" I asked Happy.

"What kind?" He asked. "Will there be bandits?"

"I hope not," I said. "I just want to explore the area a bit, like a scouting party."

"What are we scouting for?" He asked.

"To see if there's any treasures or jewels nearby," I said. He jumped up and flew in a circle around me.

"Aye Sir!" he said. He started to fly off. "Hurry up slow poke!"

"Wait for me you damn cat! It was my idea" I said as I ran after him. In hindsight, I probably should have told someone where I was going.

* * *

"And we're lost," I said. "Good job cat,"

"You're the one who wanted to scout," he said. "How was I supposed to know you had no sense of direction?" I sighed and continued to walk in the same general direction we had for the past hour. The sun was getting lower and lower in the sky and I was getting more and more worried.

"We should have waited for Natsu," Happy said. I was a bit… frustrated with that statement. It was just… I was starting to depend on Natsu, even when I was still healing from the fighting, I waited for him. Waited like some little princess. I was tired of it. I enjoyed his company, I won't deny that, but I am more than a pretty face.

"We don't need Natsu for everything," I said. "We're fine, we haven't run into any beasts or bandits. Anyway, if he was worried we were in trouble he would just sniff us out. Clearly he isn't worried."

"Or he doesn't know where we are," he said. His logic was pissing me off.

"Whatever, you have a nose don't you?" I asked. "Why can't you smell our way back? Or better yet fly up high and see where we are." He looked at me with wide eyes. "What?" I asked.

"Why didn't I think of that?!" He said. He instantly flew up into the air. He went through the tree line so I couldn't see him anymore.

"Why didn't I say that earlier?" I asked myself. "That would've saved us some time." I sighed in thanks since we would find our way home in only a few minutes.

*_**Rustle**_*

"Whose there?" I said. There was no response. "Show yourself!" I said into the trees. I thought I was crazy. _Must be a deer_. I thought but then I felt something pierce my neck. I reached up for it, it was a dart. I had just enough energy to turn around and see men in suits. I couldn't move but I was afraid, no I was terrified. I couldn't move but I could see everything.

They tied my arms and legs together. Then one of them lifted me up over their shoulder and carried me away.

"We have to hurry before the pest comes back," one of them said. I couldn't see them but I could still register everything around me.

"Tell the boss we got the celestial mage's daughter," one of them said. "Now we can continue where we started," the one talking grabbed my hair and pulled my head up so I was able to see him.

"You're going to continue you're mother's work, just like the good daughter you are." He said. "Don't worry, you're sacrifice will help the world greatly." If it wasn't that my face was completely paralyzed I would have spit in his face. His face had small scars and dark stubble. He had thin lips and small eyes.

It was dark when we got to their base.

"Good, now we can make our way to our base in central Fiore," said a man. Really I was losing track with who said what. My head didn't feel as stiff as before but it was still a bit of work just to move a little bit.

They threw me into a metal box. It moved side to side so I figured it had wheels on it. There was a small window with bars on the side. I was trapped again. The cart started to shake and we were moving towards an unknown location.

When I gained full movement I hopped over towards the small window to take a peak. There were a lot of trees but I could still see the moonlight. I wiggled my hands around. They might be evil but they seriously need to take some knot making lessons. I was able to slip out of the ropes. I untied my feet and rubbed my ankles. I wasn't in any condition to do what I was doing but I had no choice. I didn't know if Natsu was on his way with his friends or not so I had to act.

"There's movement in there," someone said on the outside.

_Shit_ I thought. _They must have heard me_.

"Here," I heard. Suddenly there was a cloud of smoke entering my cage through the door. I covered my mouth but it wasn't going to help. I eventually passed out.

* * *

**[LATER]**

I woke up in a room. In a bed. With sheets. With a desk, and clothes. There was a bathroom with a bath. It was almost normal. Like everything was a dream.

It wasn't a palace, the windows had bars and there seemed to be no door. Plus the room was a light blue shade. I usually go for pink.

_Natsu_. I wonder if he's worried. I knew Happy was worried. As annoying as he can be, he was kind. I wonder if Erza and Mira are worried. They can only do so much. They must be getting tired of chasing me down all the time. I was like a child, wondering off without a care in the world. I knew there were men chasing me but I just had to run off. I really deserved to be in Fairy Tail, I was about as reckless as the rest of them.

I got up and walked over towards the window. There were walls just high enough so I couldn't see over them. They were probably a few hundred feet away from my window but they might as well be three feet. I looked around my new surroundings to see if there was anything else. The bathroom was my focus.

After a nice bath, I changed into some new clothes. I put the ones I bought to the side so I could wash them later. It felt nice not using river water to wash off. I had almost lost sight of the fact that I was now a prisoner for an organization I had never heard of or knew of.

I looked around for a door but couldn't find one. I checked the wall for any cracks and all the books for a trap door. I even looked under the rugs. There must have been some way for them to walk in and out of my room. There must have been some magic hiding it. It was a simple trick I learned once, to distract the eye with something else so the intruder won't see what they are really after.

I checked the walls again for anything that didn't match. The spell would usually copy a part of the wall that's right next to it, so that it appears that it's just more wall. But usually the wallpaper won't match perfectly or a copy of a crack. All I needed was to look around the walls. Unfortunately the wallpaper didn't have a pattern, it was just a light blue. Whoever casted the spell was wise in choosing a simple design. It's harder to find discrepancies if it's just a solid color.

"You're not going to find it," said a voice. I turned around and saw a man in a suit. "The door is hidden with a spell, you won't be able to find it even if you were aware of it." He said confidently. His hair was greased back and his sunglasses were thin.

"What do you want with me?" I asked.

"Simple, we want you to continue where your mother left off." He said. He walked towards the window, the opposite of where I was. "You see, she was an important… scholar of magic and we asked if she would conduct some research for us. She accepted and started to research in areas of significate historic sights. She was close to discovering something, something this world has been missing. And we need you to find it. You have similar magic like you're mother right?"

"And what was she researching? The origin of magic?" I asked. He didn't answer but he turned towards me. "Cause if that's what you're after, I'm sorry but I'm not the wizard my mother was. I barely can use the magic she was capable of."

"Oh no need to worry, we'll fix that." He said.

What the hell does that mean? I thought.

"You see," he said. "We have a magnifier which can increase your powers towards their potential. We planned on using it once you woke up. But first, we must discuss the details of your mission." He said.

"What if I don't want to help you?" I asked. "I could refuse," He shook his head.

"Come on, be a good girl." He said. "Don't want to end up like your mother do you?" my body froze. It was like my heart stopped. I clenched my fist and my teeth.

"What the hell do you mean?" I said through my teeth. "What did you do to my mother?" I asked.

"She was researching something but she refused to show us her notes, so we forced it." He said. Suddenly more men with suits appeared from the ceiling. It was clear that the door was above me. They grabbed my wrists and one stood behind me. "What she told us was surprisingly good. Just what we wanted to hear. Unfortunately, she didn't last long after that."

"You bastard," I said. I wanted to fight but I didn't know how. There wasn't anything I could do.

"Well, you will help in finishing her work." He said. He stretched out his hands and boasted. "Once we power you up you can take your rightful place in this world." He gave a light bow towards me. "With us behind you of course"

"W-what do you mean?" I asked. "I don't understand."

"It's no surprise, you're father wasn't a man to spill secrets." He said. "What your mother was researching was her family line."

"But my mom was from Fairriver." I said.

"Yes, that's where she was raised. Do you know who her parents are?" He asked.

"No, she was raised by her aunt," I said. "What are you getting at?" I asked.

"Well, it was our belief that your mother was part of a royal family of sorts." He said. "So we assisted in her research. She had already started on it before the war but then she fought, got married, and had a child. So she was a bit behind. One thing lead to another, and we ended up helping each other." He then walked towards me. "Sadly, once she knew our goals she decided to leave us."

"And what are your goals? What does this have to do with me?"

"You are the last of the Morgenstern," he said. "One of the oldest names on the continent. Which is a line of royalty. That also means you are the last of that line, since your mother is dead and you have no siblings, same as your mother and her mother."

"But my mother was raised by her…"I said. It made sense, why my mother didn't have a problem leaving her home behind to be with my father. I lowered my head in acceptance.

"No, your mother was raised by a servant family. She has no blood connection with them." He said. "Your great aunt helped protect your great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother. We talked to her when your mother was still alive. She was a child when your family was kicked out of their palace and then was raised with your grandmother." He lifted my head with his finger. "So they must have felt like sisters. It makes sense that your mother was raised by her." He walked away from me. I kept my head up as he casted a spell, lifting us up to the ceiling. "Time for treatment." He said. I closed my eyes as we went through the ceiling.

When I opened them I saw a lab. There were people in suits as well as white coats. It was so monotone. I saw a lot of people walking around and testing things. I wasn't sure what it was but it looked pretty intense.

"Once we get you to close to your mother's abilities," he said. "We'll start introducing you to some of these artifacts."

"Why's that?" I asked.

"If you are part of the Morgenstern family, these artifacts should react to you. Then we can prove to the world that you are royalty and you will be queen." He said.

"Why would you want me as queen?" I asked.

"Simple, while you're queen, we'll control you from the sidelines." He said. "Then we can get rid of these rebel groups. The anti-magic rebels."

"And why would I help you in that?" I said.

"Because they are a threat to you and our kind. They must be stopped." He said. "Especially Rayfay."

"We signed a treaty to not fight with Rayfay!" I said. "We can't fight them without causing another war,"

"There won't be a war Ms. Morgenstern," He said. "War means both sides have an equal chance of winning. No, they won't stand a chance. Especially once we find the ultimate magic."

"I won't help you," I said. "I refuse to help people like you,"

"Well," he said as he stopped. I looked around and saw a chair with computers surrounding it. "You really won't have much of a choice Ms. Morgenstern."

"Heartfilia," I said. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia" he only giggled and waved me off. The other men pulled me into the chair and strapped me down. The man with sunglasses and slick hair stood behind some men in coats.

"Warning," he said, "this may hurt." He nodded to the white coat men and they pressed some buttons. I suddenly felt a surge of power in my body.

"AIYEEEEEEEEEE!" I screamed. It was like being electrocuted. I felt so much power entering my body, I thought I was going to burst. "AIYEEEEEEEEE"

"Hold tight Ms. Morgenstern," he yelled towards me. I turned my head, slowly towards him. It hurt so much_. You're dead_. I thought I wanted him dead above anything else. For my mother, my father, Fairy Tail, and myself. He deserved nothing less.

After what felt like hours, he cut off the power and had me sent to my room. I was so tired, they had to carry me. When I woke up, I felt agonizing pain all throughout my body. I was able to sit up and notice it was dark outside. It would be around this time I would be helping settle everyone down after dinner; cutting Cana off from the alcohol, stopping fights, and finding Natsu for an evening chat under the stars. _Natsu_. _Happy_. I really wished they were with me. It was hell. I cried that night.

* * *

It was on the fourth day when he stopped the power pumping early.

"I think we have reached where we need to be." He said. "Let's grab an artifact and test it out." I was still tired after a couple of hours of pumping. He walked up to me and handed me a mirror.

"Alright, let's start with this." He said. "I want you to focus on what you want to know. This mirror should have the power to see events that are currently going on anywhere in the world." I looked up at him.

"Don't be like that Ms. Morgenstern, you look like you want to kill me." He smiled.

_Good._ I thought.

"Now please look into the mirror and tell me what you see. Just focus on anything or anyone you want to see." He said. It sounded easy enough. Plus I was too tired to fight anymore. So I looked down at the mirror.

_Natsu_. I thought. Suddenly my reflection faded and I saw Natsu running around in a forest, but it was distorted, as if I was looking through water. He was talking, well more yelling, at Erza and Gray, who looked bruised and beat up. I wondered if they were looking for me. Natsu looked aggravated so it was possible.

"Like what you see?" sunglasses asked. I must have been smiling. I didn't want to tell him what I saw, it would only cause this place to go into full red alert. That wouldn't help Natsu and the others find me at all.

"It's my home, or at least what's left of it." I said.

"Good, looks like you are the long lost princess of this world." He said. "Once we get you rested, we'll show you to the world." I nodded. "Good, we have an understanding now, please send her to her room."

"May keep this mirror?" I asked. He looked down at me with his mouth lower on his face.

"Sure, just don't break it." He said as he walked off. Seemed like one of the men in the lab coats didn't like his answer but just walked off.

Once I got into my room, I hopped out of the guard's arms and into the bathroom. I sat in the corner and looked back at the mirror.

_Natsu_. The mirror showed him again.

This time I saw him from the inside of the tent. The mirror must have worked by using sources of reflections. I must have been looking at Natsu before through a drop of water or something. This time though, it was a stronger vision. It was as if I could reach out, as if I was there.

_I want to be with you_. Suddenly my mirror glowed. I dropped it and covered my eyes. I opened them slowly and looked at my mirror. I reached for it but my hand fell through. I was transported into the world of my mirror. I saw Natsu on the other side and reached out.

"NATSU!" I yelled. He turned towards me. I flowed towards the glass.

"Lucy, where have you been?!" Natsu asked. "And why are you in the mirror?"

"Natsu," I said with tears down my cheek. "Natsu I'm trapped. The men of suits found me and are using me for experiments."

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"They're saying that I'm part of some old family line," I said. "They keep calling me Morgenstern," he reacted to the name. "Natsu do you know that name?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's the name of the old king and queen, before The Fall." He said. "If that's true, then you're…"

"Yeah, they think I'm the princess, or queen. They keep pumping me with magical power. It hurts so much." I said crying. "Natsu, I'm scared and feel so alone."

"You're not alone," he said. "I'm going to find you. Do you know where you are?"

"No, they knocked me out when we were traveling. How long have I been gone?"

"Almost two weeks. How long have you been awake?" he asked.

"Four days." I said. "They said I was in a base in Fiore, so that's something. There are large walls surrounding the place I'm at." I said. I dropped my head. "I'm sorry but I don't know what else I can tell you. I wish I wasn't so useless."

"No, that's good. I can look for large walls." He said. "Lucy, you're strong, you can do this. You won't be alone for long." He sighed and rubbed his head. "How did you do this anyway?"

"I have a mirror," I said. "And whenever I think of something, I can see it as long as there is a reflective surface nearby. I just thought of you and I saw you. I reached out and I ended up on this end."

"Alright, I'll carry a mirror with me when I get you." He said. "That way you can tell me where to find you."

"I don't know much but I now they enter my room through the ceiling. It's magic too so you'll need to break the enchantment." I said.

"No problem, I'll bring Levy along, she'll break it in no time." He said. "Just wait a little longer Lucy, we'll get you." I sighed in relieve but then remembered something.

"Natsu!" I said. "They said that they will be 'showing me off' to the world soon. So we might go to a major city. So I don't know if I can help you then." I said.

"Well, we'll work on that when the time comes. I'll keep a mirror on me so you can update me with any new info, ok?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Just hurry, I don't know what they'll do. So I'll better get back before they send a guard to check on me."

"I will hurry, just be safe" he said. I nodded. I pushed away and floated towards the other end of the portal. I was transported back to the bathroom. I picked up my mirror and hugged it.

I pulled it away from me and looked at my reflection.

"You can't always depend on him Lucy, you have to help too," I said to myself. First goal, was to find out when I was going to be introduced as the new queen and where. Then report back to Natsu. He was probably working on a rescue team as we speak. I had more energy than I knew what to deal with.

But first, a well-earned bath.


	8. Chapter 8: The Siren and Princess

_**A/N:** _I don't own Fairy Tail, I wouldn't be able to create something so great as it so I'm kinda glad I don't. Anyway, enjoy the story!

* * *

Natsu kept his promise, he would keep a mirror on him and I kept mine. I attached a thin and long piece of leather on the handles of my mirror so I can carry it around.

The mirror didn't have any special decorations or anything. It just looked like a tarnished piece of glass with a thin frame and handles on the side. The frame was a light brown color. If anything it looked like a reflective tea cup plate.

In regards to my new "training" I was behind. I was still getting pumped with magical energy and my limits were being tested non-stop. The man with the glasses, he said that I wasn't ready yet to be seen by a crowd. So he's been introducing me to more artifacts from my mother's family.

"Alright," the man with sunglasses said. He had a clipboard with him. I sat in the chair across from him after being asked mental health questions. "Looks like you're doing well in… (mumbling)… but you need to work on your focus." He reached over to a desk near him and grabbed another artifact, it looked like a metallic ball. Just like all the other artifacts, it had no decoration or symbols. How they figured out it was anything more than a toy was a mystery.

"I want you to open it," he said. "On the walls of the room we discovered it in, it said only an heir to the throne could open the orb. Once you've done this we will move on to the next test." I nodded and reached out for the orb.

When I grabbed it I felt a small vibration in the item. It was humming. I just hummed along as I twisted the orb. It was a puzzle. As I hummed cracks appeared. So, I kept humming and then I sung.

_The waters spill over the shore,_

_Time has move on_

_And you cannot hide anymore._

_Come out, Come out_

_The Siren Aquarius,_

_Appear before me _

_And don't be furious._

Words just flew out of my mouth. The man wrote notes and I continued to turn the different sides of the orb. Suddenly it felt lighter. I loosened my grip and it stayed in place, in midair. The sides moved by themselves and then they locked in place. After the clicking stopped, all the pieces floated away and all that was left was a key, a celestial key.

"You're your mother's daughter," the man said.

"What's that?" I asked even though I knew what it was.

"That is a golden celestial key, your mother had four of them and they were given to you when she died."

"Yeah, she was able to open two portals," I said. "That's what she was known for in the war," he nodded while not losing eye contact with the key.

"That's right," he said. "The four keys she had were Libra, Pisces, Taurus, and Cancer. She mostly used Libra and Pisces, but occasionally she would use Taurus." He walked around me while I sat in the chair. "It was when we were on a dig that she found some other orbs, just like the one you had, and started singing. When she completed the tune, they would open and a key would pop out." He waved his hands under and over the key, as if he expected strings to be holding it up.

"This was when we figured out" he said. He looked at me. "Your mother's role in everything, this was when we knew we found the rightful heir to the throne." He grabbed the key in the air and all the pieces of the orb fell to the ground. I could hear a small cry coming from the key. He handed it to me. "I want you to call the spirit."

"But I don't know how," I said.

"It's simple, you just say 'I summon thee spirit, Appear before your new master, Fulfill your promise to my clan, Protect the Morning Star' then you say the spirit's full name." He said.

"What makes you think they'll come?" I asked.

"They have to, at least the first time. They you'll make a contract with them, it will make sense once you try it." He explained. I was hesitant but I wanted to at least try.

"Alright, how do I know their full name?" I asked.

"It should just come to you, it did for your mother," he said. I nodded and stood up, taking the key from him. All the lab assistants gathered around, some had notebooks. I didn't know I would be putting on a performance for the whole lab. The man with sunglasses brought out a bucket of water.

"If I'm right, you'll need this to summon the spirit." He said. "Since this one is a water spirit." I nodded. I closed my eyes and chanted the words in my head, making sure I didn't screw it up.

"I summon thee spirit," I said lifting the key in front of me. I held my other hand to my chest.

"Appear before your new master, Fulfill your promise to my clan," I said, the key started to glow and I felt the air around me spinning. Papers were flying and I was at the center of it all.

"Protect the Morning Star, Aquarius; the Water Bearer" I said and the light intensified. I covered my eyes from the brightness. When I opened them, I saw a mermaid, floating over the bucket of water. She had long light blue hair, a bikini top, and a blue tail. She had a scowl on her face. In her hands was a vase which appeared to be full of water. She was beautiful and I could tell, powerful.

"This is a freakin' poor excuse for a water source," she said. She turned to look at me. "To match the poorer excuse of a wizard." She grinned. Her beauty seemed to fade the minute she opened her mouth.

"What did you say," I said. But the man in sunglasses chimed in.

"Is that anyway to talk to your master?" he said. "After all, it was you who made the contract with her ancestors many years ago." The mermaid looked at him and frowned.

"I made a contract over a hundred years ago, with a woman of much greater grace and pose than this brat." The mermaid said. "Although it seems she is related to them, so I guess she is my new master." She looked back at me. "What sort of contract do you want to make girl?" she asked. "I'm going to tell you know, I won't help you if I'm on a date with my boyfriend."

"Ah, when are you're dates usually?" I asked.

"Just assume most of the time," she said. "In other words, don't call on me often. And one other thing, if you do call me you have to be near a body of water. Otherwise my attacks are useless." She said.

"I see, I'll make sure to remember that." I said. She looked at me intensely.

"I'll take my leave," she said. She glowed a bright golden light and then suddenly disappeared. _Run when you can_. A voice said to me. It was Aquarius.

And how will I do that. I thought. For a spirit she wasn't much help.

"Good job Ms. Morgenstern, it seems as though you are ready to meet the leader of our group." The man with sunglasses said.

"Who is he?" I asked.

"She," he corrected "She is the head of operations here in Moonfall headquarters,"

"Moonfall, that's a research company," I said. "With focus more on energy resources and such. They have contracts with the magic council."

"That's right," he said. "Although the research we are currently working on is purely personal. We believe that with the powers you are born with, you will be able to perform the ultimate spell. A spell that will increase the magic power of the land as well as the people." He explained. "You see, just like what we did to increase your magical power, we hope you'll be able to do with all of the countries on the mainland." He walked over to a larger table. Most of the lab workers had run off to finish their reports. The table he was at had papers scattered all over the top. There were drawings as well as detailed reports.

"You see, magic has been sealed for quite some time now, since your ancestors have been off the throne. It was believed that it was for the good of the people, to keep magic in Fiore sealed away. That way there was no reason for them to fight over it. So for a few generations, the only people who had access to magic, magic that can or could cause harm, were the royal family." He said.

"Which would cause tension in the kingdom," I said. "So that's when the revot started and the royal family was removed and a republic replaced it."

"Exactly, but over time and a war," he said. "The magic seal faded and magic flowed back into our lives. What we want is for you to fully lift the spell. That way, there is a continuous energy source and everyone gains the potential for magic."

"What do you mean potential?" I asked.

"Well, not everyone uses magic, usually through strange circumstance is when one actually uses magic. Like trauma or a great loss, are cases in which the land grants the person the ability for magic without practice. Otherwise it takes training and years of it. It's like magnets. Some people, when in great emotional stress, attract the magic of the land much greater than others. One could learn to attract the energy but it will never be as powerful as raw emotion." He explained. "A great wizard need both,"

"Makes sense," I said. "How were you able to increase mine?"

"Well, we were able to store a great deal of magical power through a lacrima." He said. "We just focused all the power into your body, luckily you already had a strong magnetic force that drew magic towards you. The pain was necessary. Like I said, great wizards need both pain and knowledge to be able to use magic. In the end it was all for the greater good."

"I see," I said. "I'm tired, may I rest?" he shook his head.

"Sorry but we need to meet the boss now," he said. "Victor, Ross," Two guards ran up and bowed. "Lead her to Ms. Moonfall's office." They grabbed my shoulders and pushed me along. I looked back to see the man with sunglasses on, he smiled and waved. I hated him but yet I didn't. I didn't like being used but to him it was all justified.

* * *

We walked towards a conference room. In it, were men in robes that bore the magic council symbol as well as a woman in a suit very similar to the ones I saw everyone else in.

"Ah, Ms. Heartfilia, or should I say Princess Morgenstern." The woman said. I had to assume that it was Ms. Moonfall. I never saw a photo of her but she was well known. Plus she carried herself well. She had long straight, brown hair. She was small but her presence was the most notable in the room. She was the focal point in any room.

"This is the supposed princess Sera? She doesn't look like much," said an old man… well all of them had grey hair and long beards. So there wasn't much to go by in telling them apart, besides one had a bigger hat than the rest.

"Yes, and as my reports have told me, she is able to call upon the spirits of the golden keys," Ms. Moonfall, or Sera, said.

"That is true sir," said one of the guards behind me. "She had just performed the ceremony a few moments before we arrived."

"News travels fast here," I said.

"Yes it does Princess," she said. "It's important when you're conducting research such as this."

"We still haven't condone what you've been doing." Said one of the old men. "This research could cause drastic changes in the order of Fiore, it's important to consider the consequences."

"If we don't act another war with Rayfay is inevitable," she said. There was then an awkward silence in the room. She sighed and then looked out the wall of windows on the other end of the room from me. It was bright and the windows stretched from floor to ceiling. "We cannot wait, according to our sources, from the magic council and Moonfall, they have been working on anti-magic weaponry. Unless we unlock all the magic potential of the land, we can never be able to fight them off." She turned back to the crowed and looked at me. "Your thoughts princess," she said.

"Why would Rayfay cause another war?" I asked. "They lost tragically last time. Even with anti-magic weaponry there isn't a way they could win against Fairriver and Fiore,"

"Fairriver wants no part in another war, if Rayfay does declare war, then Fairriver will pull out of the treaty and Fiore will be left alone." She said. The old men lowered their heads. The situation was startling than I would have imagined it. This changed things.

"I will help," I said. The men looked at me with their mouths open. "But, I need to talk to my companions. They are probably looking for me as we speak and they deserve to know where I am and that I'm safe. Anyway, they have the rest of my keys and my mother's personal research notes."

"Consider it done," she said.

"No, don't bring that gypsy clan into this," one of the old men said. "They cause nothing but trouble."

"They could be of some help," another one said. "They are more of a warrior clan than all the other nomads. Their skills in magic are incredible. Who knows, some of them could compete the spell needed to release all the magic."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "I thought all you needed was me?" I couldn't forgive myself if anyone from Fairy Tail was put through the pumping process I went through.

"Are you familiar with the origin of magic story?" Ms. Moonfall asked. I nodded.

"Where an angel fell from heaven to help protect humans from the demons and creatures of this land, even though the gods forbid it." I said.

"It's said" she said while sitting down. "That he was the one who taught humans how to use the energy of the heavens and hell to fight the demons. He was even the one who convinced dragons, considered a heavenly being at the time, to teach us how to fight. It was through this magic that the ultimate spell was created. Using the basic elements, fire, air, earth, and ice, that humankind was able to fight off the demons."

"So the fallen angel needed all four elements?" I asked.

"Yes, four wizards were chosen who had the ability and showed mastery of those elements assisted in sealing away the demons humankind feared for so many years."

"What does that have to do with me?" I asked.

"Well, that angel was called the Morning Star, later, when he adapted to human life he took on the name Morgenstern." She said. "Your ancestor," she paused and placed her arms cross on the table. I just looked at her in disbelieve. "I'll let that sink in a bit for you. After all, it's not every day you find out that you're part angel."

"How is that possible?" I asked.

"You're the one who can use the celestial keys," she said.

"Other people can use celestial keys," I answered.

"Yes but they can always deny the holder," she said. "No key can deny you, after all, you're basically brethren to them. They can't deny you. Especially gold keys." It made sense, the artifacts weren't just items that possessed magical properties, they were artifacts from a different dimension. They reacted to me because some part of me belonged in the same world they did. It was just so much and I was still tired from all the pumping this morning.

"I'm not sure how to take all of this," I said.

"Understandable, after all, it was just the other day you were living with nomads, now you're a lost princess and a lost member of a forgotten race." Forgotten race, if this is all true, I'm part celestial being, something godlike. I don't feel godlike, then again this was said to be a 500 years ago, so the blood has probably thinned out quite a bit.

"There's no way you'll be as powerful as your fallen ancestor but you do process some of his powers. That's really all we need to win this fight." Ms. Moonfall said. "I'll go and retrieve your comrades and bring them here. They'll be our guest of honor, for our new princess." She straightened in her chair. We made eye contact. Her grey eyes pierced my brown eyes.

"On one condition." She said firmly. I gulped. "You will announce your title to the world tomorrow. You will also have a coronation in a weeks' time. We will prepare you for the media and such, thankfully you were raised in a noble household so you are familiar with etiquette and customs." She opened the folder in front of her. "We'll have you be introduced tomorrow in front of the masses in Fiore's capitol Crocus. The Magic Council and Republic of Fiore will be there to show their full support and the news of potential free magic will keep the masses behind you." She said. I nodded.

"I accept these terms," I said. "If Fairy Tail accepts, could they become a sort of security force for me?" I asked. It was a long-shot but they might bite.

"Your own security force that would only listen to you?" she said with a small grin. She looked up at me and rested her chin on the backs of her hands. "Why would I do that?"

"Well, you don't have all twelve orbs, I only have control of five so there are seven orbs to look for still. They are nomads so they have knowledge of possible ruins and such." I said.

"Yes but if we announce your title tomorrow you won't be able to travel freely. You'll be stopped in almost every town and hunted down." She said.

"I could wear a veil tomorrow," I blurted. "Or have something covering my hair and mouth. If they see just my eyes and I demonstrate a use of artifact magic, they'll have to believe that I'm this princess." There was silence in the room. After a minute she smiled.

"Alright," she said.

"You can't be serious," one of the men said.

"She might be taken for ransom by these gypsies, or she might run away!" another said.

"I would never…" I said but for Ms. Moonfall interrupted.

"That won't be a problem." She said. "The princess is fully aware of the implications of her leaving us. She is also aware of what we will do to get her back." Of course, how could I forget, these people are still the same people who killed my father and burned down my home.

"I do," I said.

"And the clan in question," she said, "'Fairy Tail' wouldn't kidnap and ask for a ransom. It's out of their character and would betray their values and beliefs. If anything they would help her run away but as stated before, that won't be a problem. So I don't think we'll have any problem with the princess' request." She closed her folder. "Meeting has adjourn," I could see that the old men wanted to contest but they just grumbled and left. She sent the guards outside of the room and it was just me and her.

* * *

She tapped at the table. I just stood on the other side looking down at the ground. It was weird, I felt she was responsible for my father's death and yet I did not feel anger towards her.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble," she said. "We've put you though a lot in the last month. After all, it was because of me that your father is dead." Her tone was so plain and monotone. I felt my fist clench. "I know I can never apologize. I'll have you know that none of my men did it, we were, at the time, working with Rayfay." She said. My head jolted up.

"But I thought you said they wanted war," I said.

"That's a very new problem," she said. "Which is why I met with the magic council today. But when we went to steal some of the documents from the Heartfilia household, a rogue agent blew up the whole mansion so we couldn't get the information."

"Why were you stealing the information?" I asked.

"Well, to the Moonfall company all the research your mother did was funded through us," she said. "So in a business sense, we felt that it was our information. We tried to talk to your father but he said he didn't know what we were talking about. So we took matters into our own hands." She got up and walked towards me.

"Why did Rayfay betray you?" I asked.

"We assume it was to make sure we didn't release the seal, the original goal of this research was just to figure out if magic was really devils work or if there was a piece of the picture we were missing. Rayfay was in favor of the first option but the research done by your mother was towards the latter." She said. "It was my naïve nature that allowed them to get close to you and cause you so much harm. I just wanted to know what Layla had before her death." She stood right in front of me and smiled towards me. "There is no way for me to ask for forgiveness but I promise that we will investigate where the leaks are." I nodded.

"Alright, I believe you," I said. It still made the relationship awkward, she was still the reason I was pumped with magical power, which was painful and could have killed me. "I will be your princess,"

"Not my princess, Fiore's queen." She said. "The coronation as princess is just a formality, once the issue of Rayfay is settled we want to give you another coronation. Where you will become Queen of Fiore."

"When will that happen?" I asked. She shrugged.

"A year from now, 5 years, who knows?" she said. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now let's focus on finding those keys,"

"Yes Ms. Moonfall," I said,

"You can call me Sera, princess," She said. "Ms. Moonfall is for people I don't want to know,"

"Aright Sera," I said.

"Is there anything else you would like to be called?" she asked, I shrugged.

"Princess works just fine, better than Morgenstern" I said.

"Alright princess, I'll make sure to let my workers know to address you as such from this point on," she said.

* * *

When I got to my room I ran to my bathroom. I pulled my mirror to my face and thought about Natsu. Just like the first time, it glowed a bright liked and I was pulled in between dimensions. All I could see were the tops of trees and the sky. I started to call Natsu's name.

"Natsu, Natsu," I said. I didn't get a response so I yelled it. "NATSU!"

"What, What! I wasn't sleeping!" I heard. I sighed. "I swear I heard someone,"

"It's me idiot," I said. Suddenly I was staring at Natsu's face, an extreme close-up of his face.

"Lucy, is anything wrong?" he asked.

"No, I just wanted to let you know that there's nothing to worry about," I said.

"What do you mean about that?" He asked skeptical.

"I'll explain it all later," I said. "I just want you to know that a person will come and bring you to where I am,"

"Are we getting you out of there?" he asked.

"No, the guy will just bring you here, I'm staying," I said. He looked hurt.

"Why?" he asked.

"Well, people need me here," I said. "It will make more sense when you get here." It was just a lot to say through a mirror and I would probably mess it up and confuse everyone. So I wanted to tell them all in person with Sera's help. "Oh, I also want to higher you guys, do you think you'll be interested?" I asked.

"You're confusing the shit out of me Lucy," He said. "But yeah, we'll help you out."

"Don't worry it will all make sense," I said. "You can probably save time and start heading to Crocus, that's where I'll be tomorrow."

"The capitol?" he said. "Why are you going there?"

"To announce to the world that I'm the true heir to Fiore, and the rightful Princess." I said. He just looked at me with a poker face. I was sure he was just confused, until he spoke."

"I see," was all he said. I mentioned some more about how I summoned Aquarius but all he did was say "yeah" and "oh cool," which was a bit unsettling. And annoying.

"Natsu," I said. "What's wrong?" He was calm and quiet, not the Natsu I knew. Even when he was around me he was still a talker.

"I'll tell you later when we are in person." He said. I nodded.

"Alright," I said. "That's fair. Just get here as soon as you can, alright?"

"Yeah, I'll do my best," he said. I floated away and back into my bathroom feeling…sad. It was clear that Natsu was uncomfortable with the idea that I was a princess but I couldn't understand why. I was starting to regret my decision. But if I backed out of being a princess (which I really can't back out of) I would leave the country open for a new war. I was the one that could prevent it. I had to continue this path. I just hoped that Natsu would have my back.

* * *

_**A/N:** _Hope I didn't confuse you with any of the lore I created for this story. I'll explain some more if you guys want me to but I think I explained most of it. If you do have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments. I'll try to see if I can explain them by replying or I'll just interweave it into the story.


	9. Chapter 9: Political Wars

Traveling to Crocus was better than the ride I had when I was kidnapped. The dress I was in could have been a bit more practical. Although, it was regal. The tailored fit in the waist and bust and the dark back with embodied stars on the skirt, made it seem like I fell from the heavens. It was pretty. I still kept my mirror on my side. It gave me a bit of comfort for the long journey (with little sleep).

It was still a lot to take in.

Thinking back on all the testing conducted and how the man with sunglasses, Girard, described how "useful" everything will be once we unseal all the magic. Really, all he did was list off why it was important to complete the job. I was still confused by Sera, what were her intentions? What did she want with me? I asked why she wasn't leading the test, she simply stated that it would have been a conflict of interest if she watched.

"Ironpost has a strong sense of pride and are often stubborn," I said to Sera. She sat across from me in the carriage. She served as my assistant/steward. I came from a very business background, which would serve Fiore well since it's a very business-like country. "However, what they lack in patience, they make up for in product."

"That's right," she said. "Whenever you deal with a representative from that nation understand that they will be aggressive and straight forward with you. They talk business and nothing else. Most likely they will test your strength." I gulped at bit. I was in no condition for hand on hand combat. Many of the citizens in Ironpost are fighters. They have very strong monsters in the mountains and from the sea. They mined iron for a living, which was some hardy work. Although it had been reviled that there were some ancient ruins in some of the mines and there was a new booming archeological

"Well that might be a problem," I said. Sera laughed a bit.

"No," she said. "They'll most likely verbally threaten you. After all they are a country of strength and wit."

"Well, what I lack in strength, I'll make up in wit." I said. "Now, Silvercoast has more ice and such, since they are in the North. Their main product is cattle and sheep. They also have a wide variety of wild beast with hard shells. So they focus more on textiles and armor. They also have some of the best trade routes due to the lack of natural resources. There are a few city-states on the other side of Silvercoast that also conduct trade."

"Yesa and they are a very guarded community but they also have great festivals. Many people from around the world head to the capitol for the winter festival." Sera said.

"That's right," I said. "Now both of them have monarchy systems, right?"

"Yes, do you remember who and how they came to rule?" she asked.

"Kasper Iceshield is the ruler of Silvercoast," I said. "He is very well known for his Ice Maker magic. As are many citizens of Silvercoast. He is a more patient ruler but doesn't trust easily. He came into power through traditional means, family. He was actually married in. His wife unfortunately died when Rayfayians attacked the Eastern borders a few years ago. She was kidnapped…and murdered." Sera waited a bit before commenting.

"That's right," Sera said. She intertwined her fingers and placed them on her lap. "He's cautious but he won't hesitate if it comes to the Rayfayians. So he will be a strong ally."

"I see," I said. I looked out the window, reflecting on the current relations with Silvercoast. They were the most neutral country and usually would never go to war. They liked to stay inside their country. That is, until the Rayfayian rebels killed the queen.

"Then there's Zuri Ikin" I said. "The warrior queen of Ironpost. She is strong and stubborn, most likely due to the fact that in order to be ruler, you have to kill the past ruler."

"Yes," Sera said. "That is a fact. She was originally a nomad but got into some trouble with some townsfolk. Eventually she was caught and forced into battle with other prisoners. She led a revolt and won." Sera sighed. "During that time, she killed many men and freed other prisoners. She was considered a hero and became the leader of Ironpost. If someone were to kill her, they would become the new leader. That is their law."

"I can't imagine what kind of land governs itself in such a way," I said. "I would be worried day and night if I was to be murdered in my sleep."

"Well, you better learn," Sera said firmly. "Zuri won't take kindly to those who question their governing style. They take pride in tradition and she has certainly earned her spot. Don't think of her as anything but your equal and she will do the same."

"I won't think otherwise," I said. Sera smiled.

"At a girl," she said. "Now let's focus on Fairriver. What do they produce and who is the current ruler?"

"The produce wheat, machinery," I said. "And are well known for their educational system. Thus they have some of the largest and strongest research facilities."

"Unfortunately, that is true," Sera said. She sighed a bit. I would assume that Sera was blatantly aware of that fact.

"Their current ruler is Brayden Cauliflower but he isn't really the ruler, since he's only 12 years old," I said. "He's more of a face of the country. He's part of the royal family but his steward named Ethan Alexander. He's really the ruler of the country."

"Yes, Ethan is an interesting character." Sera said. "He's kind of a big brother to Brayden."

"Makes sense," I said. "It seems that Brayden isn't actually a full member of the family. I believe he's the bastard child of the queen. Which is why he doesn't carry the official name."

"That's right," Sera said. She opened a folder that she pulled out of her briefcase. "They gave him the last name Cauliflower because of how pale and weak he seemed when he was born. It was obvious that he wasn't the previous king's son. The real father was never found and never took claim to the child. The queen refused to speak and just stayed in the castle all the time for fear of retaliation."

"Must have been a mess to clean up," I said.

"From a PR perspective, yes." Sera said. "Many of the town's folk began to doubt the future of the royal family since there was no other heir. After all, the queen was the actual daughter of the previous king so her children would hold more power than her husband's kids. Even if they were from another man during their marriage. With that, the king's power was put into question."

"If I recall," I said. "There were rumors that he hired bandits and such to scar peasants into paying their taxes. Almost as far as kidnapping children for payment."

"Yes," Sera said. "The king was not trusted among his people and there were many who wanted him to step down. Eventually, thanks to the Magic Council, he did and Braydon took the throne. Ethan, who was once an assistant to the head of the Magic Council, was assigned to help Braydon until he was of age."

"This is all so complicated," I said. "How am I going to learn all of this in a few weeks' time?" I slouched in my seat. The tree line started to thin out. There were farms and houses appearing slowly in the distance.

"Well," Sera said. "Until you have your keys I would imagine more time will be allotted towards your studies. You'll be on the road so you can use that time to read."

"I don't think there would be time to," I said. "Fairy Tail isn't the place for study,"

"I guess you would be right," Sera said. "Nomads aren't well known for their interest in the traditional sense of education. But they are very knowledgeable." I nodded.

"They can easily slip into countries since at least a few members have connections in various towns." I said. "They also have a secret network, one that could be useful in business transactions and in sending messages with little interference."

"However," Sera said. "Since they are diverse in ties, they are also less likely to have loyalty to a single country. They are more likely to with people."

"Yes, I know this first hand," I said. "Which is why a personal connection is more important when dealing with nomads. Trust and companionship is what makes nomads strong, which I feel are important in any group. Country or community." Sera nodded with a smile.

"You will be a great queen," She said. I sat up and smiled faintly.

"I hope I can live up to your expectations," I said.

"You will," She said. "As long as you keep moving, you will."

* * *

When we finally arrived in Crocus I was in awe. I've never visited the capitol in all my years as a Fiore citizen. Now, I was to rule it.

Sera helped me out of the carriage and placed a mask on my face as well as a hood _**[A/N: a French hood] **_to cover most of my hair. This would allow people to see my status but not my identity. After all, once I start adventuring, I'll be in merchant clothing again.

"Alright, first we will meet with the Magic Council and go over some ground rules." Sera said. "Then we will have lunch with Dogma, he's the head of the council. We'll probably start some more magic training until your nomad companions arrive. In the evening will be when we announce you title to the world."

"Why so late?" I asked.

"Well, we have to wait for some reporters from both Silvercoast and Ironpost arrive. They will probably be followed by some representatives as well. Knowing some members of the Magic Council, they probably told Zuri and Kasper about you." Sera said as we walked into what was now my castle.

"I still don't understand the time," I said.

"Well," Sera said. "They would want to interview you, we'll just say that it was getting late and you were tired. So that they don't flood you with questions. Be prepared though, they will send spies and probably start some rumors. So don't pay attention to what you see in the papers."

As we walked down the large halls, I couldn't help but reminisce my old home. The study here was huge and full of books, the parlor had great décor, and the dining room had one of the longest tables I've ever seen.

We met the Magic Council in the garden area, under a gazebo. It was surrounded by a large glass dome, similar to the ballroom I had in the Heartfilia estate. My hands started to shake, I had flash backs of my father's body resting on my lap.

"Good day gentlemen," Sera said. "It's nice to see you again,"

"Likewise Ms. Moonfall," The man with the largest hat, I would assume that it was Dogma, said. "I trust that the journey was pleasant?"

"As always Dogma," Sera said. "Now, would you like to update me on any new information?" both of us sat down on the same side of the table. Dogma was at the head and all the other council members sat on the sides.

"Yes," Dogma said. Suddenly the table started to glow and lacrima flowed from out of nowhere. "It has come to our attention that Ironpost has been increasing their weapon production. Considering the current uprising from Rayfayian rebels, it would seem Zuri is having a hard time managing them."

"Our sources say that Rayfay is trying to create tension in Ironpost in order effect the local economy here in Fiore," said one of the other members. It reminded me of what my father was saying a few months before my ball.

"That would make sense," I said. All of them looked at me. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, please go on," Sera said. I looked around and Dogma nodded me to continue.

"Well," I said. "My father said that there had been some new developments in the large mines. They found some old ruins hidden deep in the tunnels. So if what all of you saying is true, and that they are looking for any little bit of pertinent information of the Morgenstern history," I said. "It would make sense to chase down those rumors,"

"I remember those rumors. But why would they be causing a revolt?" One of the men asked.

"To destroy the mines," Sera said. "Right now they are rebelling on how the working conditions are unkind to all the low level workers. There have already been ransacking's of mines as well as some being blown up."

"This is troublesome," Dogma said. "It seems that will be the first place for the Princess to go,"

"I agree," Sera said. "Not only to investigate the ruins but to also to get on the good side of Zuri." I nodded.

"That would be the best course of action," Dogma said. "Tell me child, have you any connections in that country. You said your father used to have some?"

"Yes," I said. "And most importantly they only know me by the name Heartfilia, so there shouldn't be any problems getting around. However, I need you to tell the Heartfilia Company that I am safe and would like to take control of the company."

"Consider it done," Dogma said. "It would be good to make sure you have travel funds anyhow."

"Have you considered what to do with the company after you become princess?" one of the old men asked. I hadn't given it much thought, I mean it was only 12 hours ago I was told I was a princess.

"No," I said. "I haven't thought about it."

"We'll cross that bridge once the coronation is planned," Sera said. "First we must ensure her victory against Rayfay."

"I agree," Dogma said. "It would be better focusing on the goal at hand." Everyone grunted in agreement. It was then the doors slammed open. It was a young boy, he ran over to the gazebo and panting.

"I'm sorry for intruding," He said. "But the nomads have arrived."

"Good, bring them in." Dogma said. Suddenly all of the servants came in and everyone stood up.

"What's going on?" I asked Sera.

"Since Fairy Tail and the Magic Council has a bad history, we've decided to scare them." She said. "We'll stand over there by the large tree until Makarov comes in." the servants arranged the table into a kind of panel set up. Where all the Council was on one side staring towards the door.

"I don't see how that will scare them," I said.

"Well this meeting has a dual purpose, they are also in trouble for causing a mess looking for you. Half a forest was burnt down, as well as frozen." Sera said. I sighed. _They would_.

"I see," I said. I smiled a bit in the thought that Natsu and Gray looking for me. I forgot that I was with Happy at the time. He must have been worried as well.

"Your greatness," said a servant man. "The clan Fairy Tail." The servant bowed and then walked towards the left. And there they were, Fairy Tail.

Makarov was in front of course, with Mira and Erza right behind him on either side. The rest filed behind them. They walked right up to the table. Makarov bowed a bit and looked up at Dogma. He had a scowl on his face.

"You've summoned us?" Makarov asked.

"It has come to our attention that the Southern forest is now half the size it was a few weeks ago." Dogma said. Makarov flinched, Erza face palmed, and Mira awkwardly smiled. I could sense a feeling of dread from the rest of the guild. I was sure I heard a bit of laughter but I must have been mistaken.

"I apologize for the actions of some of my children." Makarov said. He looked behind him, probably looking for Natsu and Gray. "I will write a formal apology to the local towns and offer some free help."

"Good," Dogma said. "I would also appreciated it if you were to act with a little more thought next time,"

"Or punish those who act this way," one of the other members said. "You are too soft Makarov, you have to instill discipline into your members,"

"I insure this will never happen again," Makarov said. "As long as the events leading up to the fire won't repeat themselves," Makarov stared directly at Dogma. Dogma nodded and looked towards Sera. She took a deep breath and walked forward. I stayed where I was.

"I guess that means all of this was my fault," Sera said. "I apologize for the inconvenience Dogma," she walked out and Makarov didn't even look at her. Erza and Mira did but they didn't look too happy. I saw that Sera was nervous in speaking up. After all, Fairy Tail isn't a clan you want to mess with.

"You're fine Ms. Moonfall," Dogma said. "If they were to have contacted the Magic Council, then all of this wouldn't have happened."

"Excuse me sir" Erza spoke, "but we were just worried for the safety of our friend. After all, there were men after her."

"Yes, which is why you are, again, only receiving a warning this time." Dogma said. "In the future I would appreciated it of you would voice your concerns towards us."

"Understood sir," Erza said. "We would also appreciate it if you would inform us when you'll be kidnapping one of our friends." Erza was not having any of it. Dogma nodded, after all, it was just a comment. If he wanted he could have her excommunicated from the magical community. There wasn't much power behind her words.

"Now," Makarov said. "What do you have to do with any of this Ms. Moonfall?" She walked over to the table and leaned against the middle. Which covered Dogma's view.

"I am the head of the Moonfall Research Corporation. Our goal is to find new sources of energy that can keep this country powered for many years to come." Sera said.

"Yes, I am aware of your business," Makarov said. "I just want to know how Lucy is involved."

"Well, she is the key to releasing the seal," Sera said. Makarov was taken aback by the statement.

"You're saying that she an heir to the Morgenstern family?" Makarov said. He looked troubled by this fact.

"Yes, through her mother." Sera said. "Which makes her the rightful heir and ruler of Fiore."

"Is this why her home was attacked?" Makarov asked. "Is this why my child had to suffer." _My child_, I thought. His words echoed in my head. I'd only known Makarov for a few weeks before being captured and brought to Moonfall. I guess in that time, he already considered me one of his own.

"Part of it yes," Sera said. "Some Rayfayian spies had hid in our rankings and used our name for their own motives. It wasn't until after the events that we figured out who did it and what they were after. Our apologies."

"But why did you have to kidnap Lucy?" Erza asked. "If you were truly not our enemy, why did you kidnap her?"

"That was not me," Sera said. "I was simply hired by the Magic Council to capture and train the future princess of Fiore." So ,it was the Magic Council who ordered them to take me? That was news to me. I had wondered why Sera would treat me with respect even though she had me trapped in a door-less room.

"Is it true Dogma?" Makarov asked. Dogma nodded and the other council members looked away, in various directions.

"We asked Sera Moonfall for her research and knowledge of the Morgenstern legend," Dogma said. "I will not hide the fact that we were the ones who ordered the kidnapping of one of your clients. If you were on better terms with us, we might have first asked." Makarov's magic energy suddenly started to engulf his body.

"I would ask that you not repeat this again in the future," Makarov said. "Otherwise I'm not sure how my children will take it."

"Understood Makarov," Dogma said. So as recap, I was serving as a political tool for the Magic Council. Just great.

"Now, back to the topic of Lucy," Sera said. "She has accepted the role of Princess, at least for the time being," I didn't understand why she said that last part. "She will be traveling to different ruins and forgotten lands to retrieve relics and artifacts that could help increase her magical power. When asked who she want to travel with her, she she said Fairy Tail." Sera walked towards Makarov. "Now I know we have put your clan through a lot up to this point, but this is Lucy's request, not ours." She looked up at Erza and Mira. "I'll admit, it took a little bit of convincing the Council. But if she trusts you, I do."

"Master, what do you say to this?" Mira asked Makarov. He mumbled to himself and crossed his arms. I admit, I was scared he would say no. I wouldn't blame him. I was causing a lot of trouble for him.

"Might I suggest just a small team?" Sera said. "Just a few of your people instead of your whole clan."

"That could work," Erza said. "That way we can keep doing request." Everyone looked towards Makarov. I could tell by the vein in his forehead, that he was stressed. His body was tense but it then relaxed and he looked up towards Sera.

"You'll have to pay for any damages and travel costs." He said. The Magic Council almost fainted. My heart even skipped a beat. It was such an outrageous request. Natsu alone could make the country go into debt.

"Deal," Sera said. The Council almost jumped out of their seats. "The Moonfall Corp. and Magic Council will pay for any damages that might happen during the princess' travels, as well as any lodgings or food costs. In return, you have to protect her and make sure she studies." Makarov nodded and they shook on it. Sera then turned towards my direction.

"How does that sound Princess?" she yelled. I ran from where I was hiding towards everyone.

"Sounds perfect." I said. Everyone smiled at me. Mira's eyes started to sparkle, and Erza looked glad that I was safe. Makarov smiled. The rest of the guild cheered on and yelled my name. Some even threw some compliments.

"LUCY!" I heard shouted. It was Happy and Natsu. They jumped out of the crowd and ran towards me. I was tackled to the ground by Happy. Natsu just stood next to me with a hand to help me up.

"I'm sorry I left you," Happy said. "I didn't know you would get yourself kidnapped." I sighed. Natsu didn't say anything but he did grin widely. I mouthed/whispered _we need to talk_. He heard since he stopped grinning and nodded. He was acting different from last night. It was like his personality changed. I had to investigate what was going on.

"It's fine Happy, I'm safe." I said. I looked towards Makarov. "Thanks for coming,"

"Of course child." He said. "We had to see you with our own eyes."

"We're just glad you're safe," Mira said. "You had us quite worried,"

"Yea,h sorry," I said. "I should have contacted you guys sooner."

* * *

We talked for a while longer before everyone went out into the town. Everyone but Natsu and I. After all, it would be weird for a masked girl to be walking around.

We ended up in the study. A room full of books and one long window at the end of the walkway. It brought in a lot of natural light. I was in heaven but Natsu looked as if he was elsewhere. He was here and yet not. He just watched me faintly as I described the type of books I had to read.

"So, I see you're treated well," Natsu said. I paused my browsing and looked towards him. His eyes were somewhat empty.

"I wouldn't say that," I said. "After all, they pumped me with magical power for days to speed up the natural process."

"Then why are you helping them?" He asked. "If they've been hurting you," I pondered on it for a moment before answering.

"Because," I said. "They need my help," there was no explanation for why I was helping them. The magic pumping was one of the most painful processes I've ever been through, I still felt week this morning. But Sera had been different from the rest of the research team. She didn't treat me as a subject but as an equal. So, since it was her who was asking, I said yes. I couldn't help but feel a smile creep along my face.

"Are you ready for the consequences?" Natsu asked. "Will you be at least?" he looked dead serious. His eyes dug into mine and my mind went blank. I wasn't sure what he wanted to hear. That I was, was ready for anything being thrown at me. I was nervous.

"I don't know," I said. "I'm not sure what will happen…To the Rayfayians I am the legendary princess of the Fallen Morning Star." I turned to face Natsu. I took a deep breath and stared as hard as he was at me. "So even if I don't accept the role, it will be forced on me. At least this way, I can make it seem it was my choice." I said. Natsu just looked at me for a moment before giving me a soft grin.

"I was hoping you would say that my princess," Natsu said. I giggled which turned into a full laughter fest. "What?" he asked.

"Please, don't call me that," I said between fits of laughter. "You guys can just call me Lucy, I won't be able to take any of you seriously if you call me princess. After all, most of you are from Fairriver right? So it wouldn't make sense for you to call me princess."

"We don't have loyalties in any country," He said. "We just go where ever we want. But if you want us to still call you Lucy, that's fine with me." He lifted his hands behind his head. "You really don't look like Lucy right now, you look more princess-y anyway." I calmed down and smiled to him.

"Who says I can't be both?" I said. "I can be Princess Lucy Heartfilia Morgenstern."

"Did you sneeze?" He said. I puffed my cheeks. "Nah, you'll just be Lucy to us," I couldn't help but blush at the comment. He just stood there grinning his damn grin. Acting as though it was nothing.

"I swear Dragneel," I said trying to cover my mouth with my hand. "You're going to break my heart."

"I can ensure you Princess, that isn't my intention." He said.

*_doki doki_*.

"Whatever." I said. I just glared but he only smiled back. I swear my face was as pink as his hair. What he was doing to me was cruel. "Why do you talk like that?" I asked. "You talk so formal in front of me, but with the guild you act like a completely different person." He looked at me as if I asked him a riddle.

"Oh, well" Natsu said. "My father, the dragon Igneel, taught me a lot of noble stuff. After all, he was a dragon king. So he raised me to act kind of prince like. But when he left and I joined Fairy Tail, I started to talk like everyone else."

"I see," I said. "Why didn't you tell me that before?" I asked.

"Well, I didn't think it was a big deal. I also didn't notice that I would talk differently around you." He said. "Well, until you mentioned it just now."

"Then why were you upset last night?" I asked. "You were upset when I told you I was a princess. And today, you acted as if everything was fine." He dropped his arms to his side and walked over to me. He turned to face the books but he was only a few inches from me.

"I was afraid that things would change." He said. "My father told me that I have to serve the Morgenstern family."

"What do you mean?" I asked. He sighed and looked up.

"All dragon-slayers," He said. "Well first generation slayers, have to serve the Morgenstern family. It was one of the packs that was made in order to seal the demons and monsters away. So it was the job of all dragons to train slayers so they could serve the true ruler of Fiore, which was originally the whole continent."

"Before the major split between lands," I said. "Yeah I remember that part of history class. Originally all the countries, except Rayfay were one country but when Rayfay started conducting trade with Fiore, some groups wanted to leave. With the fear of war and the presence of no true ruler; Fiore had no choice but to split the nation."

"Yes," Natsu said. "Since there was no true ruler, very few dragons trained slayers. Now there are only a few first generation slayers left."

"And all of you serve me?" I asked. "Why would this change anything? You've helped me before I was a princess, why not now?"

"Well," he said. "This means I can't travel with Fairy Tail anymore. Neither can Gajeel or Wendy. We would have to quit Fairy Tail and become a kind of knight. I will have to be at your beck and call." I was starting to understand why Natsu looked so sad last night. It was like how Girard talked about my spirits. That I am the only one who can force a contract with them.

"So," I said. "You had to listen to me boast about how I was going to take away your freedom."

"No," He said. "Like you said, this is going to happen whether I want it to or not. But if I choose to help you, then it at least feels better. I can't guarantee Gajeel will feel the same but Wendy will probably help."

"I'm sorry Natsu. I've put you though a lot in the last few weeks." I said.

"Don't mention it," he said. "We're friends right?" I smiled reluctantly towards him.

"Yeah, we are," I said. "Tonight I'll be introduced as the new princess, but tomorrow we can start traveling to Ironpost, there seems to be some ruins that were just discovered that the Rayfayians are trying to destroy. Might be worth investigating."

"Oh," Natsu said. "That's Gajeel's home country. We should send him a letter letting him know that we're heading there and for him to dig up some information."

"Sounds good." I said. And we continued talking until a servant came to take me away. I bowed to Natsu and followed the servant.

* * *

Trumpets were playing, loud and elegant. The Magic Council were standing on a castle balcony, on the third floor. I was on the inside doors of the first floor. I was to walk out, when directed, onto a ledge that looked over the main courtyard. That was where all the subjects now stood. They were told that there was some grieve news and that everyone was required to listen.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Dogma announced over a magical speaker. "It seems as though the rebels of Rayfay have been spotted in Fiore." He paused to allow the citizens to whisper to each other. Once they were silent again he spoke. "Our people have been looking for the true heir to the throne for many generations. Even looking as far as Silvercoast and Ironpost." He paused again. I was feeling more and more anxious with every pause.

"The Rayfayians fear us finding the heir," Dogma said. "Fear that we will, once again, become the great kingdom we once were." He paused again. "Well, now they have a reason to fear." That was my signal. The doors opened and I walked forward to the tune of the trumpets. I stuck my chest out and held my chin high. "For we have found the heir…The Morning Star Princess."

There was a thunderous applause, whistling, and people jumping. I smiled and wave to the crowd. That was when they began to chant. "_Take off the mask_". Suddenly a loud horn silenced the crowd, who had their hands to their ears to keep their ears from bleeding.

"She will reveal herself in time, we have too many enemies right now." Dogma Explained. "Once she has reached full power, she will take the throne." He went on more about my safety and the duty of all citizens of Fiore to watch out for dangerous subjects. I almost didn't notice the servant man behind me, inching closer and closer to me.

"FOR RAYFAY!" he shouted, I turned to see the man draw a dagger and came at me. I tried to get out of the way but with my dress I couldn't move that far. I was trapped.

_Natsu_, _come._ I thought. And he did. Not before the man stabbed my shoulder and knocked off my mask. Natsu jumped up from the crowd and jumped the guy (surrounded in flames of course). Erza and Grey were right behind him. Wendy came as well, and rushed to my side. There were cameras taking pictures of my face. Erza sliced some of them but a few men got away. By tomorrow morning, my face will be on every newspaper.

"I'll do my best to heal that," Wendy said. "But we still need to get you to a doctor." The crowd was getting rowdy.

"CALM DOWN," Dogma yelled into the microphone. "The situation will be handled by the Magic Council. For the time being, please head to your homes and wait for further instructions." As Dogma spoke, the crowd walked towards the city. They did not rush but they kept looking back at me. I saw children crying and grown men cursing at the servant man. I sensed their worry and fear for me. I was touched but now, more than ever, responsible for them.

I had already become their princess.


	10. Chapter 10: Whiskey Nights

I was carried by Natsu to the doctor. Erza, Wendy, and Gray ran alongside.

"MOVE!" Erza would scream. I didn't know why they were so worried. I was only stabbed in the shoulder. Wendy did a good job with the bleeding. I doubt anything serious would happen. When we arrived in the clinic, the doctors rushed to my side and quickly bandaged me up. They did some test to make sure there wasn't a poison on the blade, a common practice with Rayfay assassinations.

"Looks like everything checks out," the doctor said. Natsu and the others released a breath they've been holding in for a while. "She should be fine, just don't stress out your arm too much." As the doctor walked out with some paper work, Makarov walked in.

"Pops," Natsu said. "I want to volunteer to go with Lucy to Ironpost." Makarov slapped him upside the head and then looked at me. He grunted a bit before speaking.

"It's already been decided," Makarov said. "The team going with Lucy to Ironpost," everyone stood straight up. Natsu groaned a bit.

"The lead will be Erza," Makarov said. She bowed and accepted the role. "Then Gray, Wendy, and Natsu with Happy. Now, just because the Magic Council has accepted any damages during this adventure, please keep them to a minimum. Our name will still be connected to any disaster you children will create." He groaned and pinched his nose. "I just can't think of the horrors all of you will create."

"Master Makarov," I said. "If you're so worried, why did you assign them to be my guards?" he looked towards me.

"When that man attacked you," he said. "It was these four who ran to your side. I figured who better protect someone then the people who already do." He smiled. "Plus it will keep most of them out of my hair for a while."

"Understood," I said. I started questioning Makarov's intentions. Erza and Gray were basically my guards before I was kidnapped. Wendy was like a nurse. I understood why those three were assigned as part of my party. But what was Natsu's purpose. Did Makarov know Natsu's past? Was he aware of his link to the Morgenstern family line? Or is it just because we were friendlier towards each other?

"May I speak to Master Makarov in private?" I asked everyone. The all nodded and left quietly, Natsu was the last to leave, making sure to make eye contact with me before departing.

"Master Makarov, please tell me what you think," I said.

"About what child?" he asked.

"About all of this, me being some celestial being's heir, Rayfay, all of it." I asked. I looked towards him from my bed. "I want your feelings on the matter."

"Well child," he said. "I would ask what you feel on the matter first." I smiled.

"Of course," I said. "I know that angels don't exist. I know that this world's magic supply is low and limited. I know that my father was killed because of some rumors." I said. I looked towards the window and up. "Yet, when I am hidden from the sky, I can't help but feel some sadness. As if something was taken from me. I've felt it since I was a child, and looking back, it makes sense." I turn to look towards Makarov. "I think part of me is part of another world. Not because I'm an angel, alien, or anything, but because my mother isn't here." I smiled. "So if this world wants me to pretend to be a princess, then I will." Makarov had a serious look on his face. He looked down towards the ground.

"I don't doubt your title," he said. "If anything, I wasn't surprised when I heard it from Ms. Moonfall." He moved towards my bed and looked at me. "I just think you need more time and information before you jump for the crown."

"I know, Sera—I mean Moonfall said that my coronation will be postponed till the Rayfay conflict is solved. So I'll have enough time to sort things out." I said.

"I hope you do child, I hope you do." He said. He sighed and turned around, he started to walk away.

"Wait!" I said. "Why did you assign Natsu on my team?" I asked. He paused but did not turn. "I know why the other three were assigned but Natsu doesn't make sense."

"Simple," he said. "He would have ran off with you anyway. Might as well make it official." I was taken aback by his comment. I even laughed a bit.

"I see," I said. "I thought it was for something else." Makarov didn't say anything, he just walked away and said good-bye.

* * *

In the morning, Sera informed me on some new developments on the Rayfayian conflict as well as subjects I would need to study on the road. I had to admit, all of this was overwhelming. From one moment I'm in the hospital healing up from a stab wound, the next I'm shipped off to a new land. It was exciting.

"Now," Sera said. "I've given Erza Scarlett all your files on past relations with Ironpost as well as some new intrigue that could be of some use. But this one is for you" she handed a file to me. "Don't like anyone see this." I nodded and grabbed the file.

"What's this?" I asked.

"It's a bit of information I've drugged up on the legend. It seems the 'Fallen Star' myth is told differently depending on what region you're in. Some say the man was an angel, others say he was alien, and some say he was another demon." Sera said.

"A demon that helped destroy other demons?" I asked. "That seems strange."

"Yes," Sera said. "But if you think of it, it's not. If he was a demon, it would explain why he had such intel on the other demons."

"Yes but why attack his own people?" I asked. "It would make more sense if it was another race."

"Yes but people attack their own race all the time." Sera said. "Just because they aren't human, don't assume they don't follow the same logic."

"You're confusing me more and more Sera," I said. She giggled.

"You'll figure it out eventually." She said. "I just want you to think about things at different angles."

"I'll try," I said. "What else is in the file?"

"Some notes from your mother," Sera said.

* * *

While in the carriage to the train, I held the folder to my chest but never opened it. Part of me was nervous in reading the last bit of work my mother spent her life on. I felt comfort in knowing I was on the same path she was on, and that I will be able to finish her work. But I was hesitant in reading it.

"What's wrong flame-brain? Getting' sick again?" Gray asked Natsu. Both of them sat right across from me. Natsu looked unwell and Gray slouched in his seat.

"I hate vehicles," he said. He looked a little sick but for the most part, he was handling it better than the wagons.

"Oh, where's the enthusiasm you had before we left?" Gray asked. "Talking about how you will show those Rayfayians how to fight and all that."

"Fighting doesn't happen on wagons," Natsu said.

"Sometimes it does," I said. Natsu glanced up at me but looked back down at the ground.

"I'll sit out that fight," He said.

"Maybe they're weakness will be vomit," Gray said. "Then you'll be our only hope," Gray chuckled a bit while looking out the window. I smiled towards Natsu but it wasn't helping any.

"We should arrive soon," Gray said. "What's the game plan before we get on the train?"

"Wait, a train?" Natsu said. "I don't remember that part of the travel plan,"

"Well, the only way to get into Ironpost is by train," I said. "The mountains are way too dense so we have to go through them." The border between Fiore and Ironpost was lined by a huge mountain range. It housed huge volcanos and forests. The snow was thin this time of year but could be dangerous still. Most people just travel through the tunnel system that was developed a few decades ago. My father owned much of it.

"I'm liking this trip less and less the more we talk about it," Natsu said. "Why couldn't we just walk there?"

"Ironpost is over 200 miles away from Crocus," I said. "It would take us months to walk that. Plus there would be at least 50 miles of pure darkness to walk though if we go through the tunnels. If we go over the mountains it would take even longer. We would have to fight huge mountain trolls. Then talk to the giants to let us pass." I said. "This way, the cart will take us to a town with a train that can travel 40 miles per hour. That means, after traveling for 30 miles, we only have 5 hours on the train."

"I rather do that than this," Natsu said while gagging. "At least the giants are friendly.

"You're so pathetic," Gray said. I was thinking the same but I didn't want to say it out loud. Natsu mumbled something but we couldn't understand him through his hand. Wendy would be the only one who could help him but she was sleeping. She sat next to me but it only took her a few minutes to fall asleep. Erza was driving the cart out front.

"Maybe you should take Wendy's example and just fall asleep." I said.

"I can't," Natsu said. "Every time I try I just feel sick and have to sit up. So I just deal with it."

Eventually we got to the train station, it was a long ride but made it pretty early. Erza was pleased and Natsu was happy he could get out of the carriage. He was reluctant in getting on the train. But since we were early, by an hour or so, we entered the town to stretch our legs.

"I'm just glad I don't have to walk there," I said. Erza was walking with me while Gray and Natsu looked for some food. I didn't think it was wise for Natsu to be eating before the train ride but I didn't stop him. Wendy left to fetch some supplies from a local medicine store.

"Yes, trains are a nice luxury as supposed to wagons." Erza said.

"Do you take trains often?" I asked. "Being in a nomad clan I would assume you wouldn't have to."

"No we don't," she said. "Only if we have a high paying job. For the most part, we don't have places we have to be. We just travel town to town asking if they need any help." I nodded.

"I see," I said.

"It's nice to relax on the way to places though," she said. "It's been a while since I just traveled with Natsu and Gray."

"Oh," I said. "You used to travel with just them?" I asked.

"Yes," She said. "We traveled into towns and villages together all the time as kids. But that was just in our hometown in Magnolia. We would travel to the next town with permission of an elder, then make it back before nightfall."

"That sounds like fun," I said. "Getting out and exploring a bit,"

"It was a hassle really," she said. "They would always bicker and fight. I usually had to break it up. They were, well, they are immature," I chuckled a bit. Thinking of a younger Erza smacking Gray's and Natsu's heads while getting candy.

"You were like their big sister, huh?" I said. "Making sure they didn't get in trouble."

"I guess you could say that," she said with a smile. "I just wanted them to get along. They had both had things in common but I guess that's why they fight so much."

"That could be it," I said. We continued to walk but I wasn't sure on where we were going. I had just followed Erza.

"Might I ask where we are heading?" I asked. "If we are heading anywhere,"

"I wanted to meet up with someone here," she said. "He should be in a tavern around here," Erza stopped and looked around. "Should be here," she said. I looked for what would be a place for drinking. Sure enough there was a sign in the shape of a mug.

"Over there," I said. I pointed and Erza nodded.

"Yes that should be it," she said. "Our contact for intel should be there,"

"And who's that?" I asked.

"Gajeel Redfox." She said.

The place was large compared to how it looked outside. The tables were long and narrow but full of large men who bent the wood.

"I believe I've met Gajeel before," I said. "Or at least seen him," I followed Erza closely. I wasn't in my princess outfit, but I was still in my nice merchant wear. These men knew I was a foreigner to this town and eyed me as such. I was being watched but I wasn't sure where the eyes were looking.

"Yes, I believe so," she said. "But he rarely stays with the Guild long. He gets sent out looking for information that the clan could use to gain a profit. He listens for new info about places that might need help or creatures causing problems. Then he tells master, and he assigns people to go help."

"I see," I said. "But isn't there a better place to go?" I asked.

"We don't know any place where Rayfay could have hold. We're too close to the borders to assume everyone is loyal to Fiore." She was right, there were conflicts everywhere. Ironpost was having more violent outburst but there were small protest in every country. There wasn't much unity or belief in the current system. Although with the involvement of Rayfay, it was unclear whether these conflicts were actual problems or just small issues that exploded into bigger problems.

"I just don't like it here," I said. "I don't feel safe here either."

"We'll be out of here soon," Erza looked around but could not see Gajeel. I couldn't either. It was too crowded.

"GAJEEL!" Erza screamed. Everyone looked and stopped talking. Erza just had her fist on her hips and waited. I was partly in awe of her and shock.

"We are looking for a man named Gajeel. You will tell me where he is." she said. Some of the men pointed towards a door being guarded. Erza walked forward towards the men guarding it. I followed close by. "Hello gentlemen," she said,

"Hello Erza," they said in unison. It was clear she's been here before. "Gajeel is down stairs to the left." They let her walk through. I went to follow but I was stopped.

"Not you," the man said.

"Why not?" I asked. Erza didn't say anything. She just stood there. I looked at her with my eyebrows up. "I'm with her," I pointed.

"Doesn't matter," the man said. "Only she can walk in and out."

"Lucy, just stay right here," Erza said. "Everyone here are acquaintances with other friendly nomad clans and saw that you entered with me. They'll know what will happen if any of them touch you." The guards nodded. I was reluctant to just stay in a tavern alone. After all, I stuck out like a sore thumb.

* * *

She left me alone in a tavern. Most of them didn't recognize me so I guess the news doesn't spread that fast here. I just sat at the bar and waited.

"Did you hear about the princess?" someone said. I tuned in to listen but kept my eyes on the glass of water in front of me.

"Yeah, a new princess here in Fiore. Supposed to be some blood relative of the old gods." Another man said.

"Ain't nothing but shit talk," a third voice said. "You ask me, I bet they're just trying to keep all of us in line. But also, so if shit goes down with Rayfay again, they'll have just one person to blame."

"Whatever Raul, you know Rayfay ain't going to do nuthin'." Said the first man's voice. "They ain't nuthing but cowards. They probably still scared from the last war."

"I'm tellin' ya." Said the third man. "If this princess is really the blood heir of the Morgenstern family, she'll be in for a real show."

"How ya mean Raul?" said the second person.

"Well, I heard the Morgenstern family were originally demons. Demons with white wings." Raul said. "He, or Morgenstern, was a demon that hated his own kind. So he turned on them. Demons believed that humans were beneath them but Morgenstern didn't. No, he thought of us all as equals, so he led an army of beasts and humans to attack the leader." He paused. Most of the tavern kept quiet with only a whisper here and there.

"It was he," Raul said. "Morgenstern, who gave us humans magic and unleashed the seal of Fiore. He taught us how to use it. He even learned a magic that could beat dragons. Soon every beast of this world followed him. Every creature respected him and revered him."

"So why some princess gotta be worried," someone said. "If she got his blood in him she's good."

"I ain't done with the story bozo," Raul said. "Now, he was respected but the demon fellows hated his guts. They were losing control of us humans. So they went and killed a bunch of villages to show they meant business. Well Morgenstern wasn't havin' any of it. So he managed to get a small army made and killed a bunch of the bastards. But the demons had some type of anti-magic shit. And sealed the magic of any wizard who dared attacked them. All but Morgenstern. He was a demon once so their anti-magic shit didn't work on him. He got some dragons to back him up, four of them, and beat their ass. He sealed them away. Then the whole kingdom was at peace." He paused and stood on the table he was sitting at. I turned to face him. Now that he was putting on a show.

"He raised a whole family, brats and all, before he died. He warned the people of this country, 'The seal will not last, it will break, and in that time I will not be there to protect you. You must hide the source of my power, you must not let anyone find them.' Was all he said." Raul stated.

_The orbs_ I thought. _He must be talking of the celestial spirits I can control. _

"What was his source of power?" some guy asked.

"I'm glad you asked." Raul said. "It is said, his source of power were 12 orbs, and they were keys to unlock a large, undefeatable army. But also, when all united, they could be used in the ultimate spell. A spell that required four dragons, 12 orbs, and Morgenstern. A spell that could pierce the heavens and rain destruction on all foes. A spell even Morgenstern couldn't muster." I was right. Morgenstern's secret power were the orbs. What I didn't know was the ultimate spell he was describing. Was it the same spell Sera described? The one to defeat Rayfay.

"Bullshit Raul," someone said. "ya talkin' shit now. How could this all powerful leader of all mankind be afraid of some spell."

"That's the thing," Raul said. "That's how powerful this spell gotta be. Where even Morgenstern was afraid of it. The only thing known about it was what was painted on the walls of his temples. The ones build for him in every direction of the continent."

That's it, the runes unearthed in Ironpost must be one of the temples of Morgenstern. What else could it be? That's why Rayfay is after it. I should thank Erza for leaving me up here.

"Hey pretty lady," a man sitting next to me said. "How you doin'?"

"Um," I said. "I'm doing fine, just about to leave actually," I stood up and tried to walk towards the door but he grabbed my arm.

"Why you gotta leave?" he asked. His face was flush and he smelled of alcohol. He was far too touch for my taste. I could see there were some men staring at us. I couldn't walk away from this quietly. What would Erza do?

"That's none of your business old man," I said. This would be something Erza would do, right? "Now let go before I bust you're head open," all empty threats but he didn't know that.

"Hehe," he said. Ok maybe he did know that. "You're so cute," Great now I'm a child. Not sure if this made this really not ok, or just plain creepy.

"You're really creeping me out," I said. I pulled my arm out of his grip and headed towards the door. He followed me so I quickened my pace. That's when he grabbed for my shoulder. I spun around and kicked him in the head. He flew off. I didn't know I had it in me.

I sighed but everyone was looking at me. There was a mixture of shock and awe in their faces. Then suddenly a burst of laughter.

"Did you see old Mike's face when she kicked him." One man said laughing.

"I haven't seen him so confused," another one said. The whole crowd just laughed and held their side. I couldn't help but smile and giggle a bit.

"Hey girl, what's your name?" a man asked. He lifted his hand up towards me. I looked up towards him and shook his hand.

"Lucy," I said. "Just Lucy," he laughed again.

"Alright just Lucy," he said. "My name is Geo, and that man you just knocked of his ass was Mike. Both of us are usual at this bar and we don't see too many cute girls around these parts. So forgive him for his indecency. Let me get you a drink," he said. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and held me close while dragging me to the bar. I pointed to the exit but he was stronger than my will to use words.

He held a large mug in front of me. Full of a liquid I was sure would regret drinking. Suddenly the whole place began chanting "Chug Chug Chug". I gulped down any hesitation and did as the crowd demanded. It tasted foul and warmed my whole throat going down. I managed to at least swallow the first half quickly before needing air.

"What is this?" I asked. Geo laughed.

"This is whiskey, and other stuff, mixed with some citrus fruit juice." He said. "I assume this isn't your first drink." I nodded my head.

"I've had wine before," I said. "But that is all," I could feel my stomach temperature rising. I knew I needed to finish my drink but I already felt sick.

"You Got This!" shouted a man. The crowd cheered me on. I looked around and saw everyone dancing and smiling. I chuckled a bit as well. Geo slapped my back a few times as he chuckled as well.

"You Can Do It!" another man shouted from the crowd.

_I already made it this far_. _I might as well._ I thought. I lifted the glass up and finished by slamming it on the table. I lifted my fist into the air as the crowd cheered. They lifted me up into the air and threw me a few times. They chanted my name and I admit, it was kind of fun.

"Lucy Has Finish the Assassin!" the bartender said. I was jumping up and down. I hadn't felt like this ever in my life. I was starting to understand why people drank.

"Lucy?" said a familiar voice. I turned around and saw the red hair, I knew. Erza.

"ERZA!" I said as I ran to give her a hug. When I wrapped my arms around her she didn't move. "All these guys gave me some nice drink and I chugged it down,"

"What did you give her?" Erza asked. I didn't notice at first but I turned to see most of them were shaking in their boots. At the time I thought it was funny.

"The Assassin," the bartender said. I felt a strange heat emitting itself from Erza's body.

"Gajeel," she said. "Please take Lucy to Natsu and Gray's side. It seems I have to attend to some more personal matters." That's when I noticed that there was a man standing next to Erza, it was Gajeel. His long black hair, his eyebrow piercings, and his rough look was hard to ignore. He grabbed me by my collar and lifted me up. I wiggled around but he had a firm grip.

"Let me go," I said. "Let me go, I can walk on my own jerk,"

"In a few minutes you won't," he said. When we left the bar I could hear screaming and metal banging around. Like sword fighting. Erza seemed to be letting off steam.

"Are they going to be ok?" I asked.

"They knew better," Gajeel asked. "They saw you with Erza commin' in. They shoulda known this was going to happen." He threw me over his shoulder and continued to walk. I just watched as Erza sliced through the whole bar. There was fire and for once, Natsu didn't cause it.

* * *

"Err..." I mumbled as I opened my eyes.

I woke up laying on a seat in a train. It was dark outside and my head felt it was swelling in my skull. I tried to sit up but I just fell back down in exhaustion. The last thing I remembered was sitting at the tavern listening to the story of Morgenstern. Then I remembered that I had consumed a large glass of alcohol without thinking. I hadn't asked the ratio of alcohol to juice so those men could have over poured.

I was a walking risk factor. I could have been killed or worse. If it wasn't for Erza I might have ended up in more trouble. I could hear Erza screaming at me already.

I stared up at the ceiling of the train. I was alone in the room. No one was next to me nor around from what I could tell. All there was were some baggage and books. Really all a girl needs when combating a hangover.

I reached up and grabbed my mother's notes, the ones I grabbed from the house. Erza hand brought them to the castle and I had them in my bag since.

There was a huge lot of information that could be useful in exploring the temple in Ironpost. There were translation of common imagery and language that had been dead for a few generations. There were also, answers to puzzles found in some smaller temples. I couldn't read all of it because of my blistering headache but I could tell I needed to keep this close to me.

"I see you're getting better," said a small voice. I turned and saw Wendy standing in the door way. "I'm glad."

"Yeah, I was just going through some of my mother's notes." I said. "Just to see what we might find when we arrive."

"What is it that you are looking for?" Wendy asked.

"Well, anything at this point." I said. "Going in blind would be a huge mistake so it's wise to go in prepared."

"Says the girl with a huge hangover," said a familiarly irritating voice. It was Natsu. Usually I was glad to see him but for some reason he was pissing me off.

"What did I do this time?" he asked.

"Never mind me, how are you able to walk on this train?" I asked. "You should feel as sick as I do right now,"

"Wendy cast a spell on me so I wouldn't get sick." He said, "It gets weaker every time it's cast so she can't cast it all the time."

"Yep," She said. "I cast it on him during this ride because it usually takes him a long time to recuperation after long train rides."

"So you cast it on him in case we need him when we get off the train," I said. She nodded. "In that case, could you cast a spell on me?" I asked.

"Erza said I couldn't," Wendy said. I lowered my head back onto the seat. Erza was punishing me with a hangover. I couldn't say I didn't deserve it but she could have taken just a bit of mercy on my sake. After all, I was going to have to present myself in front of the leader of Ironpost, Zuri Ikin. I still needed her permission to go to the temple. How was I supposed to meet with her if I was still hungover?

"Why you accept a drink from those guys anyway?" Natsu asked, he sat across from me and next to Wendy.

"They seemed nice," I said. "They were rewarding me with bashing in the head of one of the creeps in the bar."

"I wouldn't suggest accepting another drink," Wendy said. "At least not without one of us there with you. Things could have gotten hairy if Erza wasn't there."

"I know," I said. "Next time I'll pass on a drink." I was being lectured by a younger girl on the importance to not trust strangers.

"Man, you were funny when you were drunk." Gajeel said as he walked in. "Couldn't keep you off Natsu," I sat straight up and was about to defend myself as he kept talking. "When we met up with flame-brain and Ice boy, you jumped off my back and gave Flame-brain a hug. You kept saying how he was your 'bestest friend'."

"I did not!" I said. I held my head. It was hurting even more. "I would never," I looked towards Natsu but he had his eyes closed.

"Oh but you did," Gajeel said. "You were hopping around so much I kept calling you bunny girl. Where ever Natsu went you followed like a little dog." My face was red. I just curled my knees to my face and hid in a corner. I was never going to be drunk again.

"I'm glad you're awake," Erza said as she sat next to me. My back was still towards everyone but I recognized her voice. "Good now that mostly everyone is here we can discuss our plan."

"What plan?" I asked. "We ask Zuri to let us in, we go in, we find stuff, and come back." Everyone looked at me. Erza had more anger in her face, Gajeel had a raised eyebrow like Natsu, and Wendy looked worried. I wasn't sure where Gray was but I'm sure he would have smacked his head. I got the memo that I was the idiot here but no one could explain to me why.

"I understand you have never been to Ironpost," Erza said. "But nothing is that simple." She sighed and pulled out a book and started to write some stuff down.

"Of course it isn't," I mumbled. My feet were now over the seat and I was facing the window. There was nothing but darkness outside. The train must be traveling through the tunnels still.

"You must understand," Erza said. "Master made me the lead of this group which means I am in charge. So, all plans and strategies will fall under my control. You don't have to worry about anything. I'll handle it." I got up, stumbled a bit, and walked out. If they were going to create a plan they didn't need me. I sure didn't need to hear it.

"Where are you going?" Erza asked. I slammed the door. Part of me was proud that I did it but the other half of me was terrified to go back in.

I was in too deep.

So I just walked towards the back of the train, towards the cargo hold. There was a passenger viewing area. I walked fast towards my destination. Even if we were just surrounded by black walls, it was better than Erza's face after my little stunt.

I entered the viewing area and sat down in the closest bench. When I looked up I saw stars.

"What the hell," I mumbled to myself. "I thought we were in the tunnel."

"This cart is surrounded by a screen that allows passengers to view the world outside the tunnel." Said a server. "It helps passengers with the long ride in darkness. If you are in your own cart, you can see the same by pulling down one of the screens over your window. It will give the appearance of a sky."

"It's not the same though," I said.

"Of course, there isn't a magic in the world that could recreate the stars." The server said.

"Would you like anything to drink miss?" he asked. I looked towards him and nodded. The drink I had yesterday wasn't bad, it tasted foul at first but it felt nice sitting in my stomach.

"A glass of whiskey please," I said. He was taken back a bit. "Anything wrong?" I asked.

"No, one glass of whiskey coming right up," the server walked away and I was left alone. I didn't blame him for the weird look. I was ordering it mostly to spite Erza. I probably wouldn't drink it all anyway.

When I got it, I took a sip. It was still harsh to my tongue but pleasing to my stomach. I held it in my hand as I stared into the false sky. The constellations did not bring me the same comfort that the real ones always did. The ones my mother taught me the names of, just as her mother did. I sit anticipating a long drawn out story of each character floating above my head. Alas there is no story just as there is no actual sky above me. All of it is fake. And I sip another sip.

"Man you look depressing," a man's voice said. I turned my head and saw Gray was the voice.

"I can only look so happy when there is a false sky above me." I said. He sat next to me on the bench and looked up.

"I'm surprised to see you drinking," he said. "You didn't seem the masochistic type," I sighed and he looked towards me. I looked down at my glass.

"I'm not sure anymore." I said. "I just walked out on Erza, and I'm too afraid to go back so I sat here."

"Man, you're a brave one," Gray said. "I'm surprised she didn't chase you down. What happened?" he asked.

"Well, a mix of things. My headache, Erza babying me, and everyone backing her up." I said. "How am I expected to lead a nation when my only solution is to slam a door? I'm supposed to be some princess that will lead Fiore into a new age of magic and power and yet, when challenged with leading a group of five, now six, I can't keep a cool head."

"You're asking the wrong person," Gray said. I looked over to him. He was looking up again with a faint smile on his face.

"Oh yeah, what's your story?" I asked. He sighed and put his hands in his pockets. He looked down towards his feet.

"It's a bit of a long one, you ready?" He asked. I nodded.

"Not like there isn't time," I said. He nodded.

"Well," he said. "I was born in Silvercoast, not too far from the capitol. It was attacked by some Rayfayian rebels. They had us running like dogs." He sat up and rested his arms on his knees. "It wasn't long until they found where my parents and I were hiding. They shot them down and had their guns pointed towards me. I stared down their barrels, afraid that I was going to end up like my parents. When a girl froze them in place." He sat up a bit and looked forward. He's knees were still on his knees but his head was up. "She grabbed me and pulled me to safety. She didn't give me her name or anything, she couldn't have been much older than I was, but she did tell me something." He said.

"What?" I asked. "What did she say?" he looked towards me and chuckled.

"Well," he said. "I screamed and cried for my parents. Then she pated me on the head. She held me and I cried. I kept saying 'what am I going to do, my parents are dead, what am I going to do?' and she lifted my head and into my eyes, she said 'Live, live and live some more. You're still alive, keep it that way, even for just a little bit longer'. I nodded to her and held her close. She took me to the next town and left while I was sleeping."

"How did you learn ice magic?" I asked.

"Well, after a few weeks of recouping, I found a teacher and she taught me everything I know now. But I never did meet that girl again." Gray said.

"She seemed nice," I said.

"Yeah, I just wanted to thank her at least," Gray said. He stood up and walked towards the exit. The door that lead to Erza…and the others. "Ya coming?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Want to finish this?" I asked him as I pointed to the whiskey.

"Na, after seeing what it did to you I don't ever want to touch the stuff." He said. "Especially with how you acted when you saw Natsu." My face instantly turned red.

"Not you too," I said. "Gajeel said I hopped around like a rabbit and kept saying that he was my best friend. Is that true?" I asked. He laughed which answered my question. I stood up and walked towards him.

"Yep, all of that is true. I kept teasing the flame-brain, which pissed him off, but Erza told me to stop." Gray said.

"I don't know how I'm going to face him now," I said. "Knowing I embarrassed myself like that."

"Don't think much on it," he said. "We knew you were drunk. But you know what they say? Drunk words are sober thoughts." I shoved him in the ribs.

"As if," I said. "He can be kind and gentleman like sometimes but he is far from what I would expect as a potential husband." I walked in front of him.

"Well, you looked close at your little ball you had." Gray said. "Makes you think, if he was wearing one of those tuxeos, would you have chosen him?" I stopped and he bumped into me.

"No." I said. I turned around and smiled. "If he was in one of those tuxes, he would be another boring man. And not the Natsu you and I know." Gray smiled back at me.

"Yeah I guess you're right," he said, "Come on, we gotta get back before Erza gets too upset and wreck the train." He walked in front of me and I followed close by.

"She wouldn't go that far, would she?" I asked.

"Well it wouldn't be the first." He said. I was starting to think of possible reasons Natsu had motion sickness, Erza was one of those reasons.


	11. Chapter 11: Ironpost

**Sorry for the long time between chapters! I'm in school at the moment and I started off on the wrong foot. I've also had a few different ideas of where to go with the story. Hope you enjoy! Remember to R&amp;R!**

**I don't own anything! **

* * *

Both Gray and I stood at the door, worried that Erza would have both our heads for not telling her where we were. At least I was. Gray's teeth were as stiff as they usually were when Erza was involved with anything.

I entered our little room first and saw that Natsu and Gajeel took my beating for me. Both Gray and I were worried we were next but Erza and Wendy weren't there. A huge sigh of relief left both of us.

"What happened to you two's ugly mugs?" Gray asked.

"After Bunny Girl left, Erza was pissed and this dumbass started laughing." Gajeel pointed towards Natsu.

"Worst mistake of my life," Natsu added. Both of them looked so sad and defeated. I looked into Wendy's baggage and found some first aid supplies.

"Gray, could you get me some warm water?" I asked. He nodded and left. "Sorry you guys, this was my fault."

"Don't worry about it," Natsu said. "Erza likes to be in charge and sometimes it goes to her head. She just need some time to cool down."

"Yeah," I said. "But slapping you guys around doesn't solve anything either. Her anger was toward me and she shouldn't have brought you guys into it."

"It happens," Gajeel said. "Especially with the she-devil," he mumbled. I sat across from both of them while keeping no eye contact with Natsu. I couldn't help but blush at the possibilities of how I could have embarrassed myself without any memory of the events.

"Anyway, do you know when she'll be back?" Gray asked. He gave me a bowl full of cold water. Both Natsu and Gajeel shook their head. "Alright, what did you guys talk about?" Gray asked. I grabbed a washcloth that laid in the bowl and submerged it into the water. Then twisted it so it was just damp. I touched Gajeel's face first. He flinched of course but stayed still. He looked past me and grumbled.

"Nothing," Natsu answered. "When Lucy slammed the door, Erza sat there shocked. All of us really, that's when I started laughing. What happened after is recorded my face." Natsu pointed towards his swollen cheek. Natsu nudged me. "What about me? I suffered too." I looked towards him and blushed. Then I turned my attention towards Gajeel again.

"I'll help you in a minute. Gajeel wasn't the one laughing so I think he needs to have medical attention first." I said. In truth I just didn't want to touch Natsu at the moment, I would just get teased by Gajeel and Gray.

"Lucy are you still thinking about what Gajeel said?" Natsu asked. I was startled by his question. I didn't answer verbally but it seemed that he got one by my silence. "Relax, you were just really happy to see me, you didn't do anything weird…well weirder than normal."

"What do you mean by that?" I said. I dropped the washcloth in Gajeel's crotch. I could feel the glare he was giving me even though I was looking at Natsu. I turned towards him and got up to bow. "I'm sorry Gajeel," I said. He just got up and walked out. Gray followed.

"Calm down metal head," Gray said as he chased after Gajeel. When the door slammed I sighed.

"I don't think he likes me," I said as I looked towards the door. "I just caused a mess where ever I am,"

"I wouldn't say that," Natsu said. "He has a bit of a complicated past. Just give him some time and you'll see." I turned to Natsu to see him grinning. I smiled faintly but it didn't shake the uneasiness I felt. I grabbed the washcloth from the bench, where it fell off Gajeel's crotch, and dipped it in the water and rinsed it out. I patted Natsu's face softly. He didn't flinch, he just sat with his eyes closed. I was thankful for that.

"I'm sorry I'm causing you so much trouble," I said. "I keep acting on impulse and it just causes everyone to get mad and worried."

"It happens," Natsu said. He opened one eye. "People are weird, we just have to learn to roll with it." He smiled a bit with his swollen cheek. "Anyway, we agreed to help you right, so whatever happens, we're with you 100% of the way."

"Thanks Natsu," I said. I continued to pat his face as we sat together alone. It was just a few minutes ago I was nervous just to look at him.

"Natsu," I said. "What did I do, when I was drunk?" he looked at me and blushed a bit. My face turned read instantly. If he was blushing just remembering it, I don't even want to know what I did. I regretted asking him.

"No, it wasn't anything that bad," he said as his hands waved in the air. "You just kept asking for a piggy back ride. And when I had you on my back, you kept hopping up and down, calling me a horse."

"That's so embarrassing." I said. "I'm so sorry Natsu,"

"It's really not a huge deal," he said. "Just becareful how much you drink next time. Erza was worried something happened to you while you were waited. So she was blaming herself for not bringing you with her." He explained. "So we were just worried for your safety. But when we asked you, you just kept saying that you were just dancing." I nodded and pulled the washcloth back.

"Yeah," I said. "The men who gave me a drink didn't seem to be trying anything. They even threw me up in the air a few times before Erza came up. It was kind of fun." I put the washcloth back in the water and sat back. "It was cool, the whole place was chanting my name and cheering me on. Just for some drink."

"Sounds like back home," Natsu chuckled. I smiled, I understood that I was lucky that nothing happened and felt guilty for worrying everyone. I was naïve in accepting that drink.

"Magnolia?" I asked, he nodded. "Tell me about it."

"Well," he said. "There are festivals every season. Food grows in abundance and the barrels never empty of mead." He stood up and gestured all his words. "There are warriors as strong as giants, and ladies as fair as the stars." I laughed a bit.

"I must see this with my own eyes," I said. "How can a lady be as fair as the stars?"

"Are you not a star yourself princess?" Natsu asked. His eyebrow was raised as he placed one hand on his chest and another was raised up as if it had a glass of wine sitting between the fingers. "You are proof that a lady might shine brighter than any star in the night sky."

"Your eyes are playing tricks good sir," I said as I played along. I stood up and bowed my head. "For there is no beauty that could even match the night sky." I looked up at him, acting within the roles we were raised to accept. Him the seducer and I the seduced. How my father would be proud.

"You are too modest princess," Natsu said. He grabbed my hands and lifted me up. "In Magnolia, we would dance under the twinkling stars. Dance until the mead ran dry and the sun chased the moon past the western forest." He said as he spun me around. I giggled and he smiled. "We would dance under your forefathers and the heavens would be envious of us. They would fall towards Earth for a chance to dance." He pulled me close. One hand on my waist while the other in my hand. We slowly danced in a small circle. We looked towards each other, I couldn't help but giggle. "They would fall and the sky would join in the celebration of life. To celebrate being alive." We stopped and he lowered his hand, the one in mine, to my waist. Both of my arms moved to his shoulders. "That is Magnolia my princess." His hands were wrapped around my waist as we continued to slowly dance around an invisible circle.

"Well, now I must see it," I said. He smiled. I felt my heart was beating out of my chest. My smile slipped into a relax shape on my mouth as I tried to read his face.

"And that you will," Natsu said. He brushed some of my hair behind my ear.. I knew what was going on. I knew the situation I was in, what we were in. I wasn't even sure if this was alright. I just smiled, again, liked an idiot. I looked up at his still swollen face. He smiled faintly. He looked a bit silly. But he was still Natsu.

I closed the gap between us. He moved in as well. I was nervous but I felt his heart beating as fast as mine. I knew what I wanted at this moment, regardless of the alcohol present in my system, I knew this was what I wanted, what we wanted. I closed my eyes in preparation…

But, I felt a finger on my lips. _He did not_. I thought.

I opened my eyes in shock. Natsu was looking towards the door with a bit of a scowl.

"I believe company as arrived," Natsu said. He sat down on the bench. I sat on the bench across from him. He sat calmly with his hands thrown behind his head. I just stared at him. When the door opened I didn't even blink.

"I told you I'm fine," Erza said as she entered the room. "I had enough time to gather my thoughts. Now, I can calmly address the situation." She stood between Natsu and me. I looked up at her, with the dry eyes I had from not blinking. One of her eye brows were raised but she didn't address it.

"Lucy," she said as she crossed her arms. "I would appreciate it if you would verbally address issues you might have with our current party instead of leaving without a word." She spoke and I half listened. I was still processing what was happening.

_What happens now?_ Those words just rang in my head. I could feel it about to explode.

"Lucy?" Erza said frustrated. I shook my head and got up to bow.

"I'm sorry, please continue Erza," I said. She nodded and gestured for me to sit down.

"I was just saying," Erza said. "That if you have a problem with anyone in your protection party, that you should just come out and say it. It would be easier if things were a bit more transparent between everyone." She looked over at Natsu and then at me. "To prevent things like this happening." He motioned towards Natsu. Natsu rubbed his cheek.

"I understand," I said. "From this point on, I'll make sure to voice my concerns before acting."

"That is all I ask," she said. "And I will try to do the same." She motioned for the other three to enter the room. "Let's discuss the plan," Erza and Wendy sat next to Natsu, while Gray and Gajeel sat on my bench.

"Alright, what's this big plan of yours Erza?" Gray asked. "We've waited long enough to hear it."

"Well," she said. "I've been thinking, since we aren't just nomads this time, but instead government officials, it's hard to know how we will be received going in." Wendy nodded.

"I thought about this some after Lucy asked Erza why we needed a plan in the first place," Wendy said. She looked at me before speaking again. "Before, we never got an answer from any government saying we could work within the borders, so we always worked illegally there. Which is why we usually came up with a plan before arriving."

"That would explain things a bit," I said. "So you guys would always have to figure out a stealth plan when working in other countries?"

"Yeah, usually," Gajeel said. "But since we're with Princess girl, we're not sure how to approach this situation." Now, they all looked at me.

"So," Erza said. "I thought you might be able to enlighten us." She smiled at me. "After all you have more experience with dealing with nobles and such."

"Plus you were able to convince that merchant to let you buy his cloths for cheap." Gray said. I smiled and nodded.

"Well," I said. "When we arrive, they'll probably will have an image of what I look like, thanks to that Rayfayian. So, I'll have to change into something a bit more official, same goes for all of you."

"Why do we have to dress up?" Gajeel mumbled. His chin was on his palm, his elbow on his knee.

"Well I'm not asking for tuxes," I said, "Just make sure you look like fighters, after all that is what Ironpost values, strength. It's important to respect their culture and try to show that we can bend to it. But not mock it."

"Sounds difficult." Natsu added. "How do we walk that line?"

"It can be," I said. "After all, one wrong move could lead to war. If we do something that is offensive to Zuri, it might cause tension between countries that could have negative results."

"So it would seem we would have to act as nobles as well?" Erza asked.

"No," I said. "At least not in Ironpost. Like I said before they value courage and bravery. As well as strength of mind. As long as we show them that we share those same values we should be fine." I sighed and slouched a bit. "To be honest, I've never met Zuri in person. My father had a few connections in Ironpost but for the most part communication with government officials looked bad in Ironpost."

"How do you know how she'll react?" Gray asked.

"Mostly based on what I heard from balls and such. She has a bit of an attitude and is very cautious. She's a strong fighter and even stronger alley." I said. "We need her to like us."

"And we shall," Erza said with a smile.

* * *

When we arrived in Ironpost, we were greeted by a small army. I held my position, in a new long dress, and smiled. The army marched in perfect harmony, they were one unit, as it should be. The smell of coal and smoke rose from the factories just upwind from us. It was harsh to my lungs but to cough this soon would be a negative sign.

Erza and the others got in attack stances but I motioned for them to pause by raising my hand with my palm facing them. I walked up to the head of the formation and bowed slightly with my fist on my heart. As was normal in Ironpost greetings.

"I am Princess Lucy from Fiore, I request that you take me to the leader of Ironpost." I said, the man, who I guessed was the leader, bowed as well.

"Greetings your highness," he said. I stood up straight and got a better look at him. He had a large mask on with markings, the colors on the masked displayed rank. The darker the color the higher the rank. They wore goggles and thick shirts. They're hard hats suggested that we were friendly, otherwise they would have worn helmets. After all this is a country of engineers and miners.

"Will you take us?" I asked. "Or will I have to call for her here?" my hands were on my hips as I tried to look big.

"That won't be necessary." The man took off his mask as he spoke. "I will take you to her."

"Bruno?" I said as I saw his face. "It's you! Bruno" I gave him a hug and he returned it.

"It's nice to see you well Miss Lucy, I guess I should address you as princess now," he said. I shook my head.

"Miss Lucy is fine," I said. "It's been a while since I've seen you. I see you've moved up in the ranks." Bruno was still the same, he had thick black hair, his skin was dark, and he had warm dark eyes. He was always friendly when I was a child.

"Yes I have, I see you've made some new friends." He said. "Care to introduce them?" he asked.

"Oh forgive me," I said. "The one with red hair is Erza, she's my strategy officer. The one with long black hair is Gajeel, he's my intelligence officer. The young girl is Wendy, she's my personal physician. The one with short dark hair is Gray, he is one of my body guards. And finally, we have Natsu, he's my personal guard." It was apparent that only Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel heard me. Gray and Erza didn't respond when I said their names. "But each one is a skilled fighter in their own right." I said.

"That's very interesting," Bruno said. "It seems you have surrounded yourself with not only strength but brains as well. I wouldn't expect anything less of a Heartfilia."

"Yes," I said. I motioned for them to come closer.

"I see you are well acquainted," Erza said. I nodded.

"Yes, Bruno was once a guard for a friend of my father's." I said. "He was a diplomat so he was in danger of assassinations and kidnappings."

"It seems fate as brought us together again," Bruno said. "l hope it is for the better."

"I do as well," I said.

"Well, let us walk up to the stronghold. Zuri is waiting for us there." Bruno said. As we walked up the large hill, that lead to the stronghold, crowds of people gathered. It would have been easier to take a carriage or something but it pleased the people more to see me. They all pointed towards me and chatted amongst themselves.

"You seem to be handling everything well Miss Lucy," Bruno said. "You even greeted me like I taught you,"

"Yes," I said. "I have to admit, most of this hasn't sunk in yet. I'm still convince they have the wrong girl." Bruno chuckled at my statement.

"You can't keep thinking like that if you're meeting Zuri," he said. "She'll eat you up,"

"Oh," I said. "Don't worry about me, I think I have something that she will be interested in." I figured I would show her the process of making a contract. My keys were packed with me. I had four keys I never used before. It would prove my title as well as my power.

"I'm glad you thought ahead," Bruno said. "Just make sure to not be too confident,"

"We're simply asking for permission to view the ruins in the NW. I don't think there will be much opportunity to screw this up." I said. I looked back towards my companions, they appeared to be in an argument. Erza had her arms crossed, Natsu and Gray were bickering, Wendy looked normal, and Gajeel looked bored.

"I hope you're right," Bruno said. "Are you're companions familiar with greetings here?" he asked. "It might be wiser to inform them on our way then wait for them to see."

"I guess you're right," I said. I slowed my pace so they could catch up with me. Erza was the first to see me, she hit Natsu and Gray over the head and that got everyone's attention. We kept walking but our pace was slower. We were really close to the stronghold so there wasn't much time in explaining.

"Do you guys know how to greet here?" I asked. All of them nodded.

"Good," I said. "That makes things easier."

"We are nomads, we've met with people from around the world." Erza said. "We wouldn't be so ignorant to different types of greetings. I also took some liberty in reading on some."

"That's great," I said. "I've never actually performed a formal greeting in the Ironpostian way, so it will be interesting."

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Gajeel said it came out forced but I smiled and nodded.

"This is actually Gajeel's birth country," Wendy said. I looked up at Gajeel, his appearance was similar to some of the locals. Mostly the piercings.

"Is that true?" I asked. He nodded but then grunted.

"I was a kid," Gajeel said. "So I don't have too many memories, but yeah I was born here."

"Gray was born in Silvercoast, Wendy in Fiore, and Natsu in Fairriver," Erza said. "All of us were born in different places. All with different experiences, and that is what makes us strong." I smiled and nodded.

"I'm glad," I said. I was comforted by their enthusiasm. I looked over to Natsu who was already starting a fight with Gray. I just kept thinking about the train and how close we were to kissing. I moved first but he responded by moving as well. Did he move because he wanted to? Or was it because he was going with the flow, after all that's the kind of guy he was.

We continued to walk forward. I would have to wait for my answer.

* * *

The gates were raised and we walked through the courtyard area, where soldiers were training. They would stop and point towards us. A few of them whistled and waved. I kept my eyes forward, knowing they were wanting me to respond to them. Although it seemed the others didn't know that.

"Should I freeze them all?" Gray asked.

"No," I said. "They're testing our resolve. So don't look at them, just walk forward and ignore them." I could hear them grumbling. I was starting to doubt their knowledge of the customs here in Ironpost. Gajeel seemed to be following the usual protocol but the others seemed irritated. I felt anxious again. "Please just do as Bruno and the other soldiers do," I said.

"I'm not much for this greeting style," Erza said. "It seems juvenile at best."

"I don't like how they look at us," Wendy said as she moved closer to Erza.

"This culture was mostly patriarchal," I said. "It's only been 10 years since Zuri took the reins that women have actually held some sort of power. So it would make sense that the mindset of that system still resonate today."

"Still doesn't make it ok," Erza said.

"We ain't here to change the country," Gajeel said. "We're here to get permission for Bunny Girl's exploration of those ruins." I nodded. We were stopped infront of the main doors by the guards.

"Who are you girl?" One of the guards asked.

"My name is of none of your concern, I am here for Zuri," I said. They bowed and opened the doors. Even saying that phrase felt wrong. I wasn't used to talking to people this way.

"Forgive us your highness," the guards said. "Ikin is down the hall waiting for you,"

"Didn't know you had it in ya," Gajeel said. "So, you do know a thing or two about Ironpost,"

"Of course," I said. I looked at the others and saw stiff faces. Wendy was the only one who let her confusion show. "Names are of value here in Ironpost, if you give your name to someone lower than you then they could use it against you." I said. "So you only give your name to people either equal to you or higher. By not giving my name and mentioning Zuri Ikin's first name, it gave the guards knowledge of my status." I looked towards Erza whose face had a small sign of "oh". "You can ask if it's unclear."

"Of course," Erza said. "It was just strange hearing you speak that way, that's why we were taken back."

"Seriously," Natsu said. "I almost thought Erza was the one talking. I didn't think you could be aggressive like that." I huffed a bit. Bruno laughed.

"It seems all of you haven't known Lucy for long," Bruno said. "Madam Lucy wasn't known for her passive nature."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said.

"As it was intended to be," Bruno said. "There was this one time a man tried to talk over Madam Lucy at a small business party. She had been trying to intervene for quite some time but the man only ignored her. She grabbed a glass of water and threw it on him. How old were you?" he asked me.

"I must have been 10 years old at the time." I said. "My father was horrified. I was sure he would have fainted right there."

"It was quite entertaining," Bruno said. "Then there was the time you cut the hair of that noble from Fairriver. The one who teased your maid for her freckles."

"She deserved that," I said. "Maria didn't deserve her harassment. Plus that lady looked better with a pixie cut."

"Are you talking about Lady Bellrim?" Wendy asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Did you guys know here?" I asked.

"No," Erza said. "But I recall that there was a huge article in a newspaper about Lady Bellrim's new haircut and how she refused to leave the house. Then it became a huge trend and she was considered the trend setter. Now she has a line of magic shampoo."

"Damn," I said. "Looks like I helped her more than hinder her. But I guess I would feel some guilt if she ended up worse for wear."

"It seems you've had some effect on the world already," Bruno said. "Even before you found out who you were." I nodded. Although I hope I could change the world in a more productive manner. "Let's hope you can continue to do so."

"We're here." Bruno said. I straighten my back and puffed out my chest. "You ready?" He asked with a smile.

"Yes," I said. We walked forward. We entered a kind of throne room/office space with Zuri Ikin sitting at a table with her advisors standing around talking to each other. She was looking over some papers and arguing with one of her advisors. Her black hair was in a messy bun and pulled back with a headband. Her skin resembled copper, and her brown eyes had a slight bitterness as she spoke to the man. She was irritated. She glanced my way but did not stop her conversation. I released the breath I had been holding and prepared.

"Zuri Ikin," I said. "I demand your attention." The usual greeting between rulers. Of course if I was a lower noble, I would have asked for her attention and waited. But we were considered equals so I had to demand it. Just as she would if she were to speak to me.

When none of the advisors stopped their conversation I knew I didn't succeed. If her lowers wouldn't look at me, I knew she wouldn't. Plan B.

I pulled out one of my keys, a new one, and held it in front of me. A large magic circle appeared below my feet. Suddenly, like before, a large vortex of wind surrounded me and silenced the men in the room. Papers were flying everywhere. Zuri even stopped at looked in my direction.

I started chanting again.

_Loyal subject of the pasture,_

_ I call apon you in a time of need,_

_ For I am the new star master. _

_Appear before me Capricorn the goat,_

_ I need you now, I need your guidance,_

_ Appear in a shake of a tail coat._

Suddenly a large goat looking man appeared before me in a golden glow. Just like Aquarius. He must have been at least 6'5". He was wearing a nice tux with, well shouldn't really be a surprise, a tail coat. Whoever wrote these chants should have been a bit more creative. The room calmed down a bit as the goat man turned to me and bowed.

"What is it that you need?" he said.

"I would like an answer to a question," I said.

"I shall answer to the best of my ability." Capricorn said. I looked around with just my eyes and saw that I had everyone's attention.

"Am I the heir to the Morgenstern's line?" I asked. I heard Zuri's chair as she moved forward.

"Yes," he said. What more proof did she need? I was the next queen of Fiore. I mean, at least by tradition. It should justify my actions.

"That is all I require at this time. Do you require anything from me Capricorn?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No," he said. "I do not require anything of you at this moment."

"Then return to the spirit world." I said. He faded into a gold glow. There was a slow clap from Zuri. She grinned a bit. It quickly faded when she glanced around the room.

"Good show blondie," she said. She was standing up. She leaned forward on her desk as she continued to speak. "Now you better have a good explanation for the mess."

"I demanded your attention." I said. "I assumed you couldn't hear me over your little hens talking, so I thought I should flash some bright lights." My hands moved to my hips. "It seemed to work." I needed to take up as much space as possible. These men only respond if I force my way through.

"Well you got it." She said. She nodded all her men out. They glared at me, by tradition, and left. There were some growls and chuckles. Zuri walked out from her desk and walked towards me.

"Yes?" I asked. My voice wasn't as strong as it was earlier. I've only seen Zuri during speeches and such so I wasn't sure what she would do. I only knew how to talk from my father's stories of times he met with her.

"You look just like your mother," She said. She smiled at me and pulled me in to a hug. "I thought I would never get the chance to see you." She pushed me back, I was still a bit shocked. She looked me up and down. "I heard so much about you from your mother," she said with a warm smile.

"You knew my mother?" I asked. She nodded. It was a stupid question.

"She was a good friend of mine." She said. She raised her hands and clapped them together. "But you didn't come here to talk about the past," she walked back to her desk on the other side of the room. "You need to go to the ruins that were just found, correct?" I nodded. I walked forward and everyone followed me. "Alright, I can't let you wonder around forever, it's still very dangerous since we haven't reinforced the walls. But I can offer a guide to help you find areas of interest"

"That would be very helpful, thank you" I said. She nodded.

"Excuse me," Erza said. "I was wondering what was with the show." I looked over my shoulder to the group. Gajeel walked forward.

"It's common to yell to get people's attention," Gajeel said. I nodded. "You'll see a lot of the stuff you do in the mines is practiced outside as well." He said. He crossed his arms as he stood next to me. "So I assume we can go straight there?"

"Well," Zuri said. "I was assuming you were going to stay the night and travel in the morning. We have many options of travel for your party."

"Oh god please no," Natsu said. Zuri looked towards him with a raised eyebrow.

"Forgive him," I said. "He suffers from a soft stomach." A smile grew on Zuri's face which quickly lead into a deep laughter from the back of the throat.

"He won't last long here," Zuri said with her smile. She nodded us to follow her. Gajeel smile was almost as wide as Zuri's.


	12. Chapter 12: Steam Engine

**I'm sorry again for the late publishing. I've been writing papers for school and haven't had enough time to proofread as much as I would like. So most of the chapters have been a bit more raw than I usually publish. I don't own anything and please R&amp;R.**

* * *

Zuri led everyone into their rooms and had everyone prepare for dinner. Before then, she took me to a separate place in the stronghold.

"Before I became the leader of Ironpost, I was an engineer and mechanic," Zuri said. "Your mother had contracted a company I worked for to help with her vehicles. I was chosen since I was causing too much trouble for the company." She explained.

We continued to walk down a hall of windows, showing the factory that was attached to the stronghold. There were hundreds of people welding and running large machines. Many of them were kinds I've never seen before. We paused at one of the windows. I continued to watch all the people

"We aren't a country filled with magic," Zuri said. "So we've created most of our technology off of different types of fuel."

"What type of fuel?" I asked.

"Mostly steam," She said. "Created with coal and oil, to produce fire but we hope to move to another source." She said. "But that's not what I wanted to show you, walk with me." She said as she walked away. I ran up to catch up with her. As I walked beside her I noticed how we were the same height. Her steps were heavier than mine, they echoed down the halls. I didn't even hear the metal react to me.

"What is it that you wanted me to see?" I asked. She continued to walk forward. She waved for me to follow her, as if I would stop. I played catch up most of the way down the hallway. I kept getting distracted by more machinery. I bumped into Zuri when we reached the end. "Sorry," I said.

"Now, I don't know what you'll find down in those ruins," Zuri said. "But I know you'll need a few things for your trip." She opened a door in front of her and walked through. I followed her into a study/factory of sorts. It was full of different types of metals and parts. It was shelves of blown parts and shiny new ones. All with labels with long numbers.

"What is it you're talking about?" I asked. She stood at a desk with papers all over it. I walked up and saw that they were blueprints and detailed instructions on cave exploration.

"This," she said. I look over the papers. "We've been cave exploring since the founding of the country, so I thought some of our knowledge would help with mostly anything you'll run into down there."

"This is great Zuri," I said, never taking my eyes off the books. "There's so much information here. How did you gather all of this?" I asked but a signature in the corner of the paper answered it for me. It was my mother's.

"Your mother was quite the explorer." Zuri said, looking over my shoulder. "I was very close to her on our adventures." Her voice was softer when talking about my mother. "She was a huge part of my political party when I took over Ironpost. She introduced me to the right people who were willing to listen to me and fight for what I believed in."

"And what is that?" I asked. I looked towards her and she looked at me with a soft smile.

"Tomorrow," she said. She moved to the other side of the desk and sat down. "I know it sounds corny and something you would find in fairytale stories. But I can't stop thinking 'what can I make tomorrow?' or 'Who will I meet tomorrow?'" She said. "It always kept me working harder in the mines when I could think about a different life outside. Tomorrow provided me a promise that things will change, even rocks will turn to dust at some point."

"Is that why you're helping me?" I asked. "For the promise of tomorrow?"

"To be frank," she said. "Yes, I want to know what a world with an abundance of magic would look like. A world where magic isn't as scares as it is now. That was you're mother's dream and I plan to help her with that."

"I am thankful for your help," I said. "Now, could you explain everything here." We spent the next two hours looking over the supplies she was giving us. Then we left for dinner.

* * *

I walked out of my room into a courtyard that looked over the whole city. There were so many lights that it was hard to stay asleep. It seemed that most of the town felt the same way. There were so many loud noises and people yelling. It was a town that didn't sleep.

The courtyard was probably the only greenery in the whole city. The smoke from the factory made the sky cloudy. I couldn't even see the stars. I stood under the smoky sky in the middle of an out of place meadow. Something that shouldn't exist in this part of the world but does.

"It seems this country doesn't understand sleep." A person said. I turned and saw red hair.

"It seems not," I said. "Are they always this busy?" I asked my companion, when she walked up beside me I was able to confirm that it was Erza.

"I wouldn't know," she said. "I've only been to the smaller villagers in this country. I've never been to the capital until now." She looked over to me. "How was your talk with Zuri?" she asked. I glanced her way.

"It went well," I said. "We went over supplies and transportation for our trip."

"I'm sure Natsu would be curious," she said. I chuckled a bit.

"Yes I'm sure." I said. "Has he always been nauseous?"

"It used to be worse when we were kids," she said. "Now he just has an upset stomach but he used to be so bad that if there was an Earthquake he would throw up."

"That must have been awful." I said.

"It was frustrating but he isn't as bad anymore. Thankfully," she said. "Do you know how long the trip will be?" she asked.

"Probably around a day and a-half. So we'll be on the ship for a night." I said.

"A ship?" she asked. "Is it over water?"

"No," I said. "You'll see in the morning. Natsu will probably puke just looking at it." I giggled at the thought. Erza didn't join in but she smiled.

"You seem to have grown close to him," she said. I felt a warmth in my cheeks and a smile across my face. I nodded my head. "I'm glad you were safe." She said. "We were worried when you were kidnapped and of course Natsu took it the hardest."

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble," I said.

"It wasn't your fault," she said. There was silence between us for a few moments. I looked towards the sky wishing that I could see some stars, at least that was a topic I could talk about. Or that there was something we had in common to talk about.

"If you don't mind me asking," I said. "How did you join Fairy Tail?" she looked towards me and then crossed her arms.

"I was a slave child from Fiore to RayFay actually," She said. "I was taken from my village when I was very young. I don't recall much from those times but I do remember the faces of my parents."

"You don't have to tell me the story if it's too much," I said.

"No, It's fine." She assured me. "I worked as a servant girl in a political family. I made friends with a few of the other kids. They were nice but I knew they were RayFayians so my trust was very limited. They knew nothing of the outside world nor the war. They weren't taught that in their school. The only thing they knew was to fear magic. The children would run if even a minor light spell was casted."

"That sounds awful," I said.

"Not really," she said, "Magic wasn't casted and I wasn't aware of my powers at that point so I wasn't worried. As long as I continued my chores and such I was safe." Her frown said a different story. "I was playing with my master's son when a large group of guards ransacked the house. They accused my master of being a spell user. It wasn't true. He didn't hate magic as much as others, which was really the crime he was punished with." She paused. Her fingers clenched her arms. "The first goal was to get rid of my master then find the actual magic user. They said the scans sensed there was a person with the potential of magical powers." She was shaking. I placed my hand on her back with a bit of hesitation. Her shaking ceased and she was able to continue.

"They killed him there in front of his children. Then they killed his wife." She lowered her head. "I was so terrified and scared. I felt a surge of energy in my body. The soldiers saw it and said I was a wizard. They aimed their guns towards me. That was when my master's son stood in front of me and shouted for them to go away." Her nails dug into her forearms. "The kicked him to the side and brought a brander. The placed it over his right eye to show that he was a sympathizer. They branded the whole house with it." She paused again.

"What happened," I paused while finding the right words. "What happened to you and the boy?" she rubbed her eyes and looked up towards the sky.

"Well, he was banished, I was to be executed, but he used the rest of his money in the family fortune to bring me with him." She said. "When we got to Fairriver he released me. He said I was free to go where ever I wanted. I asked why he wouldn't come with me but he said he couldn't. All native RayFayians had to go to a certain place to be screened and such. He said it would take too long and that he would find me afterwards."

"Did he?" I asked. She nodded her head. "I see,"

"I travel in hopes of finding him one day," she said. "To thank him for freeing me and say sorry for causing so much trouble."

"They were looking for you," I said. "The soldiers, they were looking for a magic user in the house." She nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss, I had no idea of the pain and suffering you've been through."

"We've all been through pain and suffering in Fairy Tail." She said. "All of us have lost something precious to us, that's why we value the bonds we've created so much." Her arms dropped to her side. She tilted her head towards me and smiled. "This is why you belong with us,"

"I'm honored," I said. "To have met all of you,"

"We are glad to have met you," she said. "Lucy Heartfilia"

* * *

"I want to go back to bed," Natsu whined as we walked up to the large courtyard above the stronghold.

"Get a hold of your self Natsu," Gray said. "We aren't here for vacation,"

"I know that ice princess," Natsu said. "I just wish Happy was here,"

"Why isn't he here?" I asked.

"None of our cats are here," Gajeel said. "They're on their own mission,"

"Is that a thing with Dragon Slayers?" I asked. "All of you get cats?"

"It seems that way," Wendy said. "I've known Carla since I was really little,"

"I've had Lilly since I've joined Fairy Tail," Gajeel said.

"Natsu found Happy when we were kids," Gray said. "He brought this egg to the guild and said it was a dragon egg. To our surprise it was a cat,"

"Wow, that's exciting," I said. We continued walking up a few flights of stairs. As we continued to move forward, Natsu kept growling.

"Why do I feel like I won't like this?" Natsu said. "We need to go West but we keep going up," I smiled. Natsu was right, he wouldn't like it. But I was excited. The blue prints were fantastic and if it even lived up to half of what Zuri was preaching then it would be exciting.

"You seem excited since last night," Erza said.

"Where did you go Erza," Wendy asked. "I woke up to get some water and I saw you weren't in your bed."

"I couldn't sleep with all the noise," Erza said. "So I went to one of the small gardens. I ran into Lucy while I was there." I started humming.

"I'm nervous," Gajeel said. "Is bunny girl drunk?" he asked.

"I'M NOT DRUNK," I snapped back. I turned half way to face all of them. My pony tail swung back. I had changed to look more like I belonged in Ironpost. I had a white shirt, brown vest, and some tan pants on. There were goggles on my head with some gear like ear rings. My thick brown boots kept my feet warm, something important for the mode of transportation we were taking.

"What's wrong?" Erza said. I looked at all of them. They were in their nomad clothes. Erza could probably change in a second but I was worried for the rest of them.

"We'll be traveling to some high altitude," I said. "Will you guys be warm?"

"I don't get cold," Gray said. "I'm an ice mage so I'm pretty much immune to the cold."

"I'll be alright," Wendy said. Erza nodded in agreement. Gajeel didn't answer.

"I'm always warm," Natsu said. "Why you asked?"

"Because I don't need popsicles for friends," I said. I crossed my arms. I sighed and continued walking up the stairs.

"If something is troubling you Lucy," Wendy said. "You can tell us," The door was getting close, I didn't answer because they would see what I've been talking about in a few minutes. My excitement was growing again. When I reached the double doors I looked back to my group with a huge smile.

"Ladies, Dragons, and Gentleman," I said. "I would like to present you with the finest mode of travel available by Metalicana Industries," I turned to put on my goggles then open the doors. My friends were blinded by the sunlight but my goggles protected my eyes by adjusting to the increase in light exposure.

The machine in front of my group was beautiful. An airship that was built for war but flew like a bird. The front of the airship was a dragon's head replica (obviously I wouldn't have allowed it to have an actual dragon's head), which served as a large canon. The whole ship was almost a small town, it carried flags from all the major countries which meant it could land almost anywhere. It also held a flag for what I could assume is the Morgenstern family. It held a large white star in the center with four dragons in the NSEW positions. It was the highest of all the flags.

"I already want to puke," Natsu said. Everyone chuckled as we raced up to the aircraft. It housed a crew of 60 men and women. It would be our main mode of travel for our whole journey.

"Zuri assured me it was tested in most extreme cases and came out with flying colors." I said. Natsu didn't seem to be any more at ease with this info. I couldn't blame him. Zuri also told me the ship hadn't left the dock. All the test were done in the stronghold factory. I didn't want to tell them that.

"I'm sure everything will be alright," Erza said. "It seems faster than train anyway so it's less time traveling," Natsu grumbled but walked toward the ship anyway.

"I guess it's better just to get this over with," Natsu said. Gray patted him on the back and pushed him a bit forward.

"That's the spirit flame-brain," Gray said.

"Don't push me," Natsu replied. Everyone walked past me to the aircraft. I stood listening to the conversation. I wasn't sure if I was anxious or excited about the journey.

"Not like you'll be able to do much when we get on the damn thing," Gray said. I walked forward towards the craft when I heard the echo of metal to metal. I turned and saw Zuri behind us. She waved me off with a large smile. I waved back trying to match her enthusiasm.

"Don't crash it," Zuri yelled. I laughed, it was drowned out when the aircraft started up.

"I can't make any promises," I yelled back. "But I'll do my best," I could see her laughing but couldn't hear her. I wasn't even sure if she heard me and if she guessed what I had said, or just has better hearing than me.

I was the last one on the ship, everyone saluted me as I walked on. I nodded towards all of them and they went to their respected duties. I couldn't find any of the Fairy Tail group when I boarded so I headed towards the control room. I was surrounded by metal. The crew ran around, sometimes shoving me into the walls. As annoying as it was to be treated with respect at the start and then be banged up like an old toy, I couldn't help but feel the excitement of riding in an airship.

My father drew up plans for such a vehicle but the magic council would never fully approve of such a thing. To use so much magic for a craft only a few could enjoy didn't seem reasonable. However, Zuri used a mixture of magic and fuel. It created toxins but if the whole mission was successful and I was able to unseal all the magic of the world, then it would only be temporary. The key is making sure the mission is successful.

Zuri is confident in this machinery and is basically using my mission as a test run for the product. If successful this would be a more preferred mode of travel for the continent. It would be an investment worth having with her. She was more than willing to talk business once my end of the deal was completed.

When I walked into the control room, I saw a familiar face.

"Bruno!" I said. He looked in my direction with a smile. He handed a clipboard back to the man he was talking to and gestured for me to walk over.

"I hope the crew is treating you well," he said. I nodded.

"I was only shoved a few times, other than that, they seem nice," I said.

"I suspected as much." He said. "Not all of them are aware of your actual status, just that you're an important person,"

"That's fine," I said. "It would allow me to walk around without as many looks," we talked about the direction we would go and how long it would take. It all matched what Zuri said and seemed to be easy going.

"By the way," he said. "What is the name of the ship?" he asked. I looked up from the maps.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Didn't Zuri give it a name? She was the engineer after all," He shook his head.

"No," he said. "She wanted you to name the ship," another man walked up and whispered in his ear. He nodded and looked towards me. "I'm sorry but there seems to be a small issue with the stock room. I'll have to leave you to your own."

"That's alright," I said. "I'll try and come up with a name while you're gone," he left with the man. I turned my attention from the maps to all the crew flying the ship. The two men in small little cockpit type seating with levers and buttons, I assumed were the actual pilots of the ship. Some men stood by screens displaying the same maps that I had at the table but interactive. Other men were set up at consoles with more buttons and knobs. I really had no idea of what was going on.

"Are you lost miss?" a crew member asked.

"No," I said. "But, yes as well. Could you tell me how this machinery works?"

"I would but I'm afraid I have other duties," he said, "There is a study with some of the manuals portside."

"Could you show me?" I asked. He nodded and led me to the study.

It was modest but was filled with engineering books and blueprints I had seen before. The man bowed and then left me in the study. It seemed to be open for everyone but no one was there. It seemed most of the crew members wouldn't need all this reference material. So I had some catching up to do. To be fair I had no previous experience with mechanical engineering much less chemical engineering. However, if I could at least understand what the buttons do, I might feel more comfortable being around everything. Not knowing which button is forward and which is reverse could be disastrous. Although shouldn't be too much of an issue since I won't be behind the wheel.

Again in my life, I was surrounded by books I only half understood. Most of the terminology went over my head. The book was written for engineers so it assumed a lot of things. There wasn't a beginner's guide anywhere. I won't lie, I was willing to take the challenge but it was still frustrating.

"Why can't they speak plainly," I said to myself. "Why does it all have to be written in code?" I scratched at my head. I wanted to pull someone aside and ask them about it but I knew that they would be busy. It was a puzzle I wanted to solve on my own anyhow.

"Figures I'd find you here," I heard. I turned and found the source, it was Natsu. I smiled but quickly blushed when I remembered the last time we were alone.

"How's your stomach?" I asked. I kept my eyes towards the papers, filled with equations and images. He moved to sit at the table I had littered with manuals. He was at one end and I was on the side. We sat at a comfortable distance.

"Not as bad as I expected," He said. He rested his chin on his arms as he looked towards me. "I still feel nausea but it's manageable," I turned the page of my manual. It depicted images of steam pressure engines and their specs. The comparisons between water-tube and fire-tube boilers.

"I see," I said. I gave quick glances to the side to see if he was still looking. "Where did the others run off to?"

"Gray is outside with Wendy and Erza." He said. "Gajeel is in the engine room helping with something."

"Gajeel has knowledge of aircraft such as this ship?" I asked. I faced Natsu fully.

"Yeah," he said. " I mean he's no expert but he picked up a thing or two before joining the guild." He explained. Finally I found my human dictionary. It was right under my nose the whole time.

"This is great news," I said. "I can ask him about these books and what all the symbols mean. Then I can ask him more on the mechanics of the ship." I started rambling when Natsu interrupted me.

"Lucy," he said. "You're acting weird again." I looked away and back at a different book. "Like right now, you won't look towards me when I'm talking."

"I just," I said. I sighed and closed the book. I still held it in my hands as it went to my lap. "I keep replaying what happened on the train in my head."

"I'm sorry if I read too into it," he said, "I was just going with the moment."

"I know," I said. It was silent between us. I ran my hands across the back of the book. The sound of my skin against the cover and the engines around us filled around us but the questions I wanted to ask him were blaring in my mind.

I looked down at the green cover of the book, a tweed like pattern surrounded it. The title as well as the author's name were in gold and indented on the spine. I thought about how to phrase the question that rang the loudest in my mind. The one that would answer most of them. Unlike the mechanical books, personal relationships were a puzzle I would prefer to leave allow.

"Natsu," I said "Would you have continued if the others didn't enter the cabin?" I asked. I didn't look up from the book.

"Lucy," he said but no other words left his mouth. We sat, not looking at each other.

I started to kick myself for even asking the question then became angry for the fact he wasn't answering.

"Never mind," I said as I stood up. "Forget I asked." I took a step towards the door when he grabbed my arm.

"Lucy," he said. "I want to know you're answer first," I didn't turn, I continued to look towards the door.

"I asked." I replied.

"Well I'm asking too," he said. "I followed you into it,"

"Kiss," I said.

"What?" He asked.

"It was a kiss," I said. "We would have kissed if the others didn't show up,"

"Yes, we might have," he said.

.

His word choice answered the question.

.

"I see," I said.

"No, that's not what I meant," he said but I pulled my hand and walked towards the door. He grabbed my arm this time and made me face him.

"What," I said firmly. I could feel tears gather in my eyes with no known source. Was I upset that he didn't want to kiss me or that I was a fool for initiating such a thing? Or that I wanted to kiss this pink haired idiot. "Just let me go Natsu," I tried to pull from his grip but he didn't release me.

.

Instead he kissed me.

.

He pulled away. He released my arm and we stood facing each other.

"Does that answer your question?" he asked.

.

I slapped him.

.

His face stayed angled to my left, my hand stung, my breath was heavy. I was confused. I was frustrated. He was the cause of it and I wasn't sure of a solution for any of it.

"I'm sorry Lucy," he said.

"Don't ever kiss me after you…" I said, thinking of a way to end that sentence. I was so railed up that I was at a loss for words.

"I chose the wrong words," he said. "I'm sorry."

"All you had to do was repeat what I said. You changed the wording, whether it was unconscious or conscious doesn't matter to me." I said. "You changed the meaning of the whole thing." I held my hand up to my mouth. I couldn't hide my tears. "I'm so frustrated by you and interested in you," I started to pace the room. "Plus, I have to prove that I'm the true heir to the Morgenstern line, then prevent a war, and undo the seal so that all of the lands can enjoy magic. I just don't know what to do." Both my hands combed through my hair and down to my shoulders.

"I understand," he said. I looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "I mean, I know you're going through a lot. All of us are." He sat down in my chair. "It was only a few weeks ago that I thought you were being tortured and now those same people who kidnapped you are funding a large expedition in finding some old magic. I'm also at your service since you are heir to Morgenstern line and I can't run from that. It complicates things. Then the train thing and now. It's a lot."

"You got that right," I said. "I just don't know if I could handle this right now. Maybe if we just… keep it between us?" I asked.

"How so?" he asked.

"Well, when we're alone," I said. "We can have a more intimate relationship but when seen by others, we are professional." I explained.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"I like you Natsu," I said. "But I'm not sure how much just yet. And with everything I have to do and our current status, I'm not sure I'll have the time to find out." He nodded. He sat on the edge of his seat. I had stopped pacing and crossed my arms while I leaned against the wall by the door.

"I'm not sure either." He said. "I can't tell yet if it's just the attraction of the contract my people created with your ancestors or if it's an actual attraction." He stood up and dusted his pants. "But time will help us figure it out." He smiled.

"I agree," I said. "We can start off slow and speed things up once both of us are comfortable."

"I guess that means no kissing," he said. I shook my head.

"Not for a while." I said. "Now come on, I have some questions for Gajeel." I left through the door and saw that the coast was clear. With the noise of the engines I wasn't surprised no one noticed the small fight Natsu and I had. "Where is Gajeel," I asked. Natsu walked into the hallway with me and pointed to my right.

"This way," he said. "Do you want me to come with you?" he asked.

"No I should be fine." I said. "Thank you though." We said our good-byes and I made my way to the engine room. I turned to see that Natsu wasn't there. I continued down my path to find Gajeel and finally get some straight answers on something.


End file.
